Zabaniya: A Delusional Romance Between Assassin and Wizard
by Quatermass
Summary: (Harry/Serenity!) The escape from the graveyard at Little Hangleton goes awry, and Harry ends up in the Camelot Singularity, where he makes the acquaintance of Hassan of Serenity. Now, some time later, Harry, now a member of Chaldea, is able to go back home. But there's a problem: a Pseudo-Singularity is affecting his world, Servants are battling it out, and a dark plot awaits...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

I have been trying to do a Nasuverse story pairing Harry with Hassan of Serenity for a while (amongst many other story and pairing ideas), but until I played through the Camelot Singularity of _Fate/Grand Order_, I couldn't find the right 'in' for the story. That particular part of the game has one of the better stories in the game (no surprise, given that Kinoku Nasu himself wrote it), but also the most notoriously unforgiving battles in the game, as I discovered firsthand, despite being forewarned.

Now, this story is set between the end of the _Epic of Remnant_ arc and the beginning of the _Cosmos in the Lostbelt_ arc. Two years have passed between the Camelot Singularity and this one, with much of that time spent dealing with other singularities, and Harry's age has been advanced a year, so he was nearly 16 when he ended up in the Camelot Singularity.

Also, I would like to give my thanks to GhostXavier, the writer of the excellent _Fate/Grand Order_ slice-of-life fics _Fragments of Chaldea_ and _The Lost Fragments_, as well as fanfics revolving around the last three Singularities of the game's first story arc. Not only has their story helped shape my own works, and not just this one, but they have also kindly given me permission to use their OCs in this _Fate/Grand Order_ fic. And while GhostXavier's OCs will not be having a prominent role, at least in the chapters written so far, you may see more of them as time goes on.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. Firstly, there will be spoilers for both Harry Potter and _Fate/Grand Order_.

Secondly, there will be heavy annotations, as is usual for my works. You have been warned.

Thirdly, this is an M-Rated work. There will be coarse language, violence, and sexual references. Again, you have been warned.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Fate/Grand Order_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Fou will bite you on the arse…


	2. Chapter 1: Homesickness

**CHAPTER 1:**

**HOMESICKNESS**

_The darkness was stygian, a virtually physical presence that did more to harm her mind, heart and soul than any of the tortures that so-called knight inflicted on her. Oh, she could see well enough in the darkness, but the rag that served as a blindfold, combined with the darkness of the chamber, served to isolate her, as if she was floating alone in a barren void, only the slightest of echoes from outside, the cold and damp air, and the taste of her own poisonous blood on her tongue, keeping her from falling into the abyss. She prayed to her god, and to the Great Founder, that she would be strong enough to withstand their tortures, until either rescue came, or she finally succeeded in killing herself._

_Suddenly, the door opened, and she could see light dimly through her blindfold. "Behold, boy," came the familiar and hated voice of her torturer, Sir Agravain, adjutant to the Lion King, a twisted near-deity that once used to be King Arthur. "Have you ever seen death clad in such deceptive beauty?"_

_"…What the hell have you done to her?" This was the voice of a boy, a teenaged one, his accent not unlike the knights of the Holy City, the curs of the Lion King. His tone held horror and pity in it, as well as hoarse pain, presumably from Agravain's attentions._

_"She is the enemy. The saying that all is fair in love and war is not wholly inaccurate. By this point, I care little for what you say. You speak the truth, but it is irrelevant. You will not be one of those saved within the Holy City. So, I thought I would conduct an experiment. This girl is one of the Hassan-i Sabbah, one of the leaders of the Assassins who have been summoned to this Singularity by the power of the Holy Grail. Though the Hassans sacrifice their names along with their identity when they ascend to the leadership of their heathen organisation, they keep an appellation to signify who they are. This one is called the Hassan of Serenity. Do not let her beauty fool you. She wields her beauty like a weapon, seducing men to murder them with but a touch. I found myself curious…how long does a touch against her skin need to be in order to prove lethal?"_

_And suddenly, cool skin against her own. She whimpered, knowing this was as much a torture technique for her as it was an execution for the mysterious boy. That she would soon be responsible for his demise. Even with her poison weakened by the mystic chains binding her to the wall, suppressing most of her power, her touch would be dangerous, and would inevitably be lethal. That knowledge broke her at the end of her short life before this one, when she died at the age of eighteen, her mind broken by her seduction and assassination missions…before the Great Founder took her head._

_One second…two…three…five…ten…it felt like an eternity. But after the best part of what had to be at least thirty seconds, she heard Agravain demand, in annoyance, "…Why isn't this working?" The touch was taken away briefly, before she heard Agravain snarl, "Get over here!"_

_The sound of someone being dragged over to her, said person bleating like a lamb to the slaughter. "No, Sir Agravain, I…I don't want to die…please…__**GHHHHRRRRKKKK!**__"_

_This last drawn out death rattle came about as she felt another touch her skin for a protracted period, and then, the thud of a body hit the floor, something wet splashing onto her feet. She knew what it was, having felt it before…the very viscera of a man ejected forcefully from their body, liquified thanks to the effects of her poison. "…I see. So this Saracen slattern's poison is still strong. And yet somehow, you have an immunity to it. Hmm…it seems you might be of some further interest to me after all. Your execution has been postponed. Be grateful, boy."_

_The boy's voice came back. Rasping with hatred and anger towards Agravain…not only on his own behalf, but, Serenity realised, for herself. "…My name…is Harry Potter…"_

_"I do not care to remember the names of the walking dead," Agravain retorted. Then, the chamber was emptied out once more, and darkness claimed her sight. _

_However, even then, something began to bloom in her chest. Hope, not of rescue, but perhaps that she would have someone she could touch without killing them. It was a vain hope, but it bolstered what little she had left. She didn't know it, but soon, she would be rescued, and so too would the boy calling himself Harry Potter…_

* * *

The frozen wastes of Antarctica. An inhospitable landscape, of a cold and harsh beauty. One would not think it the location where the future of humanity had been secured, at least for now, and yet, it was.

1600 metres up a mountain in the frozen heart of the frigid continent was a vast facility known as the Chaldea Security Organisation. Its purpose was to ensure the continued existence of humanity by monitoring the state of the world, and using an experimental time travel technology to correct aberrations in history. Almost as fantastic as the fact that they had managed to create a means of time travel, however, was that Chaldea had managed to find a way to summon and maintain a large number of Servants.

Servants were familiars, derived from Heroic Spirits, entities from myth, legend and history, engraved upon the Throne of Heroes. Although most famously used for the Holy Grail Wars of Fuyuki, Japan, Chaldea had recruited them for a crusade to save humanity's past, and with it, the future. It had come at a terrible cost. Many lives were lost. One of its most prominent members had all but erased themselves from existence to beat their foe, the demonic gestalt known as Goetia, who had tried to warp history to the purpose of wiping out humanity.

And even now, with the Singularities spawned by Goetia's interference resolved, the peace they had bought was an uneasy one. Chaldea, by dint of possessing Servants, had become a major power, one that made those in the know nervous. Not wholly unduly so, as Servants were walking equivalents of weapons of mass destruction. But Clock Tower, the UN and other authorities linked to Chaldea had, for now, decided to avoid tickling a sleeping dragon. Time would tell, however, whether tensions would erupt into violence.

Most of the Masters, people capable of commanding Servants, as well as the ones selected by Chaldea who were capable of travelling through time safely, had died. They died through the treachery of one of Chaldea's researchers, Lev Lainer Flauros, in truth, a shell for the Demon Pillar Flauros, one of Goetia's minions. Only a couple of Masters survived. Later, they managed to find a few more amongst their staff. And serendipitously, they found someone capable of being a Master during their sojourn to a Singularity.

It was a Singularity where the Holy Land in the 13th Century had been mashed together with Ancient Egypt, where corrupted Knights of the Round Table embarked on an insane quest to save humanity from destruction. This plan came about at the behest of a cold-hearted, deified version of King Arthur, one who cared nothing for those left by the wayside of her plans. Meanwhile, infamous pharaoh Ozymandias possessed that Singularity's Holy Grail, making him the epicentre of the distortion.

While many of their battles were hard-won, that had perhaps been the most brutal to their psyches yet, not least because they faced corrupted versions of Servants who were already present, such as King Arthur, Mordred, and Lancelot. But they witnessed brutal pogroms and torture. They came face to face with an entity many would consider Death embodied. They laid low a demon, and toppled a deity. They saw friends seemingly or actually perish. Scars were inflicted on the body and soul.

But they came through in the end. And managed to bring not just Servants back…but someone from another world entirely…

* * *

"…And that's when I'd had enough, and poked Gilles in the eyes," Jeanne d'Arc said.

The Servants gathered at the table in the living quarters, plus one of the Masters, chuckled. "…That still seems like an extreme way to calm a man down, Jeanne," observed Arturia Pendragon, better known as King Arthur. Yet despite the name, Arturia was actually a woman, albeit one stuck in her late teens, her androgynous looks contributing to her being a youthful man caught forever young. Her emerald eyes and golden hair, done up in a severe bun, contributed to her beauty.

Jeanne looked a bit contrite. She did vaguely resemble Arturia, with similar features and golden hair, but her eyes were amethyst, and she seemed less stern and strict. Surprising, considering that she was one of the best known saints in the world. "I know. But sometimes, it was the only way."

"From what I heard about the Orleans Singularity, you would have had big targets to aim for," remarked a dark-haired boy in his late teens, with eyes as emerald as that of Arturia's, as well as a similar girl sitting next to her, with wilder hair and a more tomboyish air to her.

Jeanne nodded. "Of course, we had greater concerns then, Harry."

"A shame," the girl sitting next to Arturia, looking like her tomboyish sister, remarked. In truth, this was Arturia's bastard child, Mordred. "I'd have loved to have tested myself against some of those wyverns you were fighting there. Didn't get bloody summoned until after that mess in Victorian London."

"I feel like I missed out on a lot of interesting things," Harry said. "You'd already fixed six Singularities by the time you guys found me. Then again, considering what we've seen since, it was probably interesting in the cursed form of the term."

"Hah! I hear that," Mordred said. "Still…I'm glad we managed to bring you back here, Harry. Hell knows what would've happened if you stayed in that Singularity after we resolved it."

Harry nodded. While it took him some time to get used to the boisterous knight in that Singularity, especially as she and her 'father' had corrupted versions in the top echelons of Camelot in the Holy City, in the two years he had been in this place, he now viewed Mordred as a big sister figure, even if she was actually a little younger, as had Jeanne. Arturia had become an aunt figure, one far better than his own aunt, for all Arturia's stern and stoic nature.

Still, Mordred's comments only served to remind him that he was a long way from home, not even in his own timeline, or set of timelines. He was in another timeline entirely, one where magic was different. He was separated from his friends, Voldemort was on the rise, and nobody knew about it.

He couldn't do a damn thing, either. Shortly after the end of Goetia, Da Vinci had managed to make contact with a certain personage at Clock Tower, who had stated that, for now, their universe was out of synch with Harry's own. It would come back into synch before long, but they had the Pseudo-Singularities to worry about.

He was broken from his thoughts by the feelings of a pair of jumper-clad arms gently encircling his body. He knew who it was straight away. "…Mary," he said with a smile, using a variation of her name Maryam, the one she possessed before discarding it and her old identity to become the Hassan of Serenity(1). "Your training session with the others is over?"

"Yes," she said, her voice as soft and gentle as a shadow. She sat down next to him, her skin a dark grey, her eyes and hair a dark violet, her features beautiful, her form slender and athletic. It was a body men would die for…and frequently had. Even the covering clothing did little to hide her figure. "You have been keeping him out of trouble for me?" she asked her fellow Servants.

"I think keeping our Masters out of trouble is a full-time job," Jeanne said.

"Hah! I'll drink to that. Anyway, when's the next summoning session taking place?" Mordred asked.

"In a few hours," Mary said quietly. "However, I believe that Da Vinci is working on something."

Harry sighed to himself. It was weird, knowing that a lot of figures from history and myth were female, like King Arthur and Mordred, to say nothing of the likes of Frankenstein's Monster or Jack the Ripper. Leonardo da Vinci, however, had constructed himself a female body in order to stabilise his rather unstable summoning, one of the first Chaldea performed. Said female body looked like an even more beautiful version of the Mona Lisa, and Da Vinci seemed to enjoy walking around as a woman. "Isn't she always working on something?"

As if on cue, the comms screen on the wall lit up, showing the dark-haired features of Da Vinci. "_Genius never sleeps, Harry. However, I think you'll be very interested in what I have to say._" Then, that cheerful smile, not the subtle one of the Mona Lisa painting but the welcoming and enthusiastic smile Da Vinci usually wore, faded. "_I've finally found a way to get you back home. But…there's a complication. A pretty big one, and we're talking something beyond trying to emulate the Second True Magic. Zelretch has contacted me with the coordinates, and we have focused CHALDEAS on your world. Harry…that world has a Pseudo-Singularity squatting on it, around a couple of months after you left it, by all accounts. Which means that it's not going to be a simple homecoming. Chaldea is mobilising for this_…"

**CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So…that just happened. Harry's somehow ended up in Chaldea, and has Serenity as his girlfriend. Keep in mind, two years have passed for Harry, but due to the timey-wimey stuff going on, what with Chaldea isolated from the world due to Goetia's plans, only just under two months will have passed for the Potterverse…though they will be eventful months. Harry's now about 18, and Serenity about 20.**

**Anyway, stay tuned.**

**1\. I chose Maryam because it seemed close to the name Serenity assumed in ****_Fate/Prototype_****.**


	3. Chapter 2: Unwelcome Revelations

**CHAPTER 2:**

**UNWELCOME REVELATIONS**

Harry was sitting with Mary in Da Vinci's office, one that had once been the ad hoc office of Dr Romani Archiman, aka Dr Roman. Roman had been the chief medical officer of Chaldea, until the sabotage wreaked by the agents of Goetia wiped out many of the senior personnel. Roman was forced to take charge, something that he didn't relish. It wasn't just because of his easygoing character, one that seemed to shirk responsibility and shy away from danger. Romani had once been in such a position of leadership before, and didn't want to again.

He had, after all, once been King Solomon.

The short version of what was a long story was that Marisbury Animusphere managed to use King Solomon as a Caster Servant to win the Holy Grail War in Fuyuki, and Solomon had wished to be reincarnated as a normal human being, to live a relatively carefree life. Unfortunately, that was never to be, for the sins of Solomon's past, the Demon Pillars whose power he had harnessed in his first life, made plans of their own, plans that would spell the end of humanity. Solomon, as Roman, had tried to help them, but it came to the point where he had to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to stop the Demon Pillars, effectively erasing himself from existence.

Only, not enough of them were destroyed. They'd dealt with four Demon Pillars who had survived. And now, it seemed like two more had escaped destruction as well.

"Now, this is more or less an advanced briefing," Da Vinci said, the genius peering at Harry and Mary from behind the desk that used to be Roman's. "While Mash, Ritsuka and Gudao are aware in broad terms what is happening, I thought I would discuss specifics with you, Harry. After all, it's your world we are going to, and any insights you would have are welcome."

Harry nodded. "Because magecraft and my world's magic are different, right?"

"Yes. Your world's magic, albeit based on studies of your body and of your spells, while considerably more flashy than most magecraft, and certainly more versatile, seems to be considerably less efficient. Magecraft works on perhaps more logical principles. As a Caster Servant myself, I am in a position to examine the manifold differences. But we're not here to do that. It's more the socio-political landscape. Your world's history seems to be extremely similar in most regards, as is the need to keep magic secret. But magical governance is vastly different. However, it seems that the Demon Pillars have been on your world for some time." Da Vinci gestured, and a holographic image of a familiar trophy appeared. "The Tri-Wizard Trophy, the very artifact that brought you into the Singularity we found you in. In truth, it's a heavily degraded Holy Grail, though I believe that the degradation was due to the interactions between two different…Portkey spells, I believe? You said that one of the Death Eaters hit it with a spell."

Harry nodded. "And you believe that that triggered something not unlike Kaleidoscope, the Second True Magic, only, it somehow brought me into a Singularity."

Da Vinci nodded. "Which should have been impossible, as it also triggered time travel. The Singularity was in the 13th Century, after all. Two True Magics for the price of one. Whether the Grail was degraded before then, or simply burned out due to such powerful magic being inadvertently used, I don't know. In truth, it was lucky that I was able to jury-rig a means of Rayshifting you back to Chaldea. It was easier than I thought. It was more like summoning a Servant, actually. However, we have also detected traces of what seem to be another Grail in this Pseudo-Singularity, suggesting two Demon Pillars, potentially. I can't say for certain, though. We didn't think any Demon Pillars survived what Solomon did, and yet we've encountered four of them in the Pseudo-Singularities. It suggests that those two regrouped in a reality removed enough from our own to make their own plans. Whether they involve reviving Goetia's own plans, or else doing something else, I can't say."

"Do you think they're working with Voldemort?"

"It's possible, but we can't rule out the possibility that they are acting through someone other than Voldemort," Da Vinci said. "The Pseudo-Singularity **_is_** centred on Britain. However, how did the Grail get turned into a rather tacky trophy, and why use that as a mere transportation device of perhaps a few metres, at least how it was originally intended? I doubt they knew the true value of the Holy Grail if they made it into a trophy."

"Maybe, but there were a bunch of government and sporting officials who might have used it as a trophy, at least in disguise. Bagman, Crouch…I mean, before he disappeared. He was acting very strange at the time. But I didn't see anything or anyone that, even in hindsight, had anything to do with the Demon Pillars or Servants."

"That's fine," Da Vinci said with a wave of her hand. "We generally need to search on the ground, as it were, for the sources of the Singularities. The Singularities have to be investigated precisely because our systems cannot discern what is happening until we have people on the scene. And, of course, there is what King Hassan has spoken of."

Mary nodded. "The Great Founder has spoken to me of the Peverells, who bested him before he grew into his powers as the first Hassan-i Sabbah. He believes Harry to be a scion of that line," she said in her soft tones.

"Yeah, I'm still coming to grips that my Invisibility Cloak came from your universe, and from the first Hassan-i Sabbah," Harry said. "Or the fact that someone actually managed to beat him. Seriously, King Hassan is a scary bastard."

"And yet, you spoke up for me, berating him on my behalf," Mary said. "I feared for your life, for to defy the Great Founder is to die. That he spared us both…is a miracle even the Grail cannot provide."

Suddenly, the room seemed to darken, and in a flash of cold blue fire, an imposing figure appeared. Tall, clad in dark armour, with a skull-like helmet where azure eyes glowed in the sockets. "**_Thy conviction and compassion weighed more heavily in mine judgement than thy foolish anger, or else I would have taken thy head then and there_**," King Hassan stated, being an embodiment of 'speak of the Devil and he shall appear'. His voice was every bit as dark and ominous as his appearance suggested. "**_I hath told thee this time and again. I despise repeating mine words to the point of weariness._**"

"…King Hassan," Da Vinci said with a sigh as Mary began to shiver. "For how long have you been listening?"

"**_Since they came here alone_**," King Hassan said. "**_A briefing about a Pseudo-Singularity, and thou would speak to these two first, rather than the Fujimaru cousins, who art more experienced Masters. Naturally, mine curiosity was piqued, just as it had when Harry's magic stirred forgotten memories of the Peverells. 'Tis fitting that he had the artifact that came from the humblest of the Peverells, the sole one I refrained from cursing. If thy destination is the world where they came from, then I will come, to retrieve my tools. The wand my Magus advisor created, and the stone that seeks advice from the dead._**"

"We will seek them out for you, Great Founder," Mary said quietly.

"**_I have no doubt that thou would say that, Serenity_**," King Hassan said, not unkindly. "**_Though thou art eager to see thine lover's home. Let that not divert thee overly much from thine path. I hath allowed thee to find happiness in one unaffected by thine body. And I too desire to meet those Harry would call friends and allies. But remember thy duty, and seek not to curry mine favour with such proclamations, regardless of their sincerity. This is not Alamut, where to see my mien is to embrace one's end, but we have a duty to humanity, whether they be of our faith or not. If it comes to choosing between tools I lost long ago and I need no longer, and confiscating the lives of our enemies, then there is no choice at all._**"

"Obviously," Da Vinci said. "Dealing with the source of this Pseudo-Singularity is the priority. Still, there are three main places to begin searching for clues, given your anecdotes, Harry. The first two, Diagon Alley and the Ministry of Magic, are both somewhere in London. The third, Hogwarts, is located somewhere in the Scottish Highlands. We can make those three places our starting points. Of course, explaining the presence of Magi and Servants is going to be something of a task. I'd suggest sending some of our younger Casters to Hogwarts. Alice, Medea's younger self, Illya, Miyu and Bathory could go, and I think Blavatsky could pass as a student, given her younger body. Another Caster could masquerade as a teacher. I would go myself, but this may be a long-term mission, and I am needed to administer this damned place." She sighed in irritation. "Dammit, Roman…he died to try and kill me with paperwork, I just know it."

"**_Speak naught of such jests_**," King Hassan said. "**_A prattling fool he may have been, but his sacrifice allowed us to deal with Goetia. To offer one's self to utter oblivion as he did was no mean feat._**"

"And you could stand to loosen up," Da Vinci remarked. "But that is not the point."

"There is something," Harry said. "Remember how I reacted to Hundred-Face and Cursed Arm when they came to rescue us? The Death Eaters wore skull masks themselves. Now, Mary and Hundred-Face don't need the mask, Mary because she never carved off her face, and Hundred-Face can assume any guise she wishes, but…"

"**_I see thine point_**," King Hassan rumbled. "**_It only makes me desire their heads all the more, as if their prior sins were not reason enough._**"

Da Vinci nodded. "That being said…I want you to be cautious, Harry. We still don't know who changed the Portkey on the Grail to send you to that graveyard. In addition, I find it odd that Dumbledore would keep sending you back to an abusive household. I am hoping that he is a blinkered fool or had some sort of strategy in play. So we'll try to get you as close to the Dursley household as possible, as a means to start investigating. Merlin and Medea will accompany you in order to look for any Bounded Fields and the like."

Harry nodded, albeit reluctantly. He'd had a few rows with Da Vinci about her thoughts on Dumbledore, but he knew she had a point. Dumbledore had refused to tell him time and again why he needed to go back to the Dursleys. He just hoped that Da Vinci was wrong, even though she rarely was.

"We should be on the lookout for Servants," Mary said. "Even if no Servants were seen by Harry during his lifetime does not mean they weren't there, or else won't be there now. And it is more than likely we shall encounter Servants we have not done so before. Every Singularity seems to bring forth Servants we have not encountered previously. The Great Founder and I were two in Camelot."

"**_While thine words are obvious, thine conclusion is not_**," King Hassan rumbled. "**_Servants unknown to our minds pose an unknown threat to our persons. However, a number of the Servants present in Chaldea have fought in Grail Wars before, and retain vestiges of memory. We only have a few of the Servants who fought in the Great Holy Grail War in Romania. Maybe some have been called forth there. And there may be Heroic Spirits unique to Harry's world. To speculate needlessly, though, is to tarry overly long. And as the detective is fond of proclaiming, 'tis a mistake to theorise ahead of the facts._**"

"It still helps to have hypotheses, though, and to eliminate or modify them as facts arrive, no matter what Holmes claims," Da Vinci said. "You're correct, though. Unknown Servants will pose a risk, as they always do. We might luck out and find some who were in the Great Holy Grail War, true, and Jeanne, Mordred and Atalanta have been something of a help in learning of those Servants. But as King Hassan has rightly pointed out, there may be Heroic Spirits unique to Harry's world, particularly to their magical society. I'll need researchers on the ground as well to read up on the folklore of magical society, particularly Magical Britain. I'll go and talk to Waver on other strategies. Anyway, I need to pick your brains about various locations and people of interest, Harry…"

* * *

After a rather gruelling grilling from one of history's greatest geniuses, Harry just wanted to have dinner and head to bed. A proper briefing would take place tomorrow. Still, he had to admit to feeling ambivalent about heading back to his homeworld after all this time.

True, he was homesick. He wanted to see his friends, make sure they were all right, and put paid to Voldemort for once and for all. And yet…it didn't quite feel like home anymore.

Harry was pretty sure he knew why. At Hogwarts, his fame was a double-edged sword. True, he'd gained friends, even those that saw past the Boy Who Lived myth that sprang up around him, but…here…he felt more at ease, ironically enough. Despite being surrounded on all sides by famed heroes and infamous figures from history and myth…he felt more welcome here, because he wasn't famous, at least in this world. In fact, it felt like home.

As he and Mary entered the cafeteria, he saw the tall and buxom figure of Medusa, looking put out as her older (despite looking to be in their mid-teens at the oldest) sisters Euryale and Stheno teased her, their friend, the Minotaur Asterios, looking on placidly. The cat-eared huntress Atalanta smiled as her adopted daughters, Jack the Ripper, a young girl with silvery hair and golden eyes, and Alice, a lilac-haired girl in Victorian dress who was actually a living story book, ate their meals. The buxom figure of Francis Drake was engaged in a drinking contest with the scruffy-looking Blackbeard, while the diminutive form of Mary Read and the tall and buxom form of Anne Bonny looked on in exasperation. And a girl who looked like a more buxom form of Arturia, but who was really the Emperor Nero, was arguing with Tamamo-no-Mae, a kimono-clad woman with fox ears and a tail.

Hogwarts had felt more like a home than the Dursleys did, true, but there were expectations made of him there. And while Chaldea was more dangerous than Hogwarts, what with the missions to save the world, he wasn't the one people relied on most. Even as a Master, he was just one amongst many. And that actually helped.

He watched as Gudao Fujimaru walked in. He was one of the Fujimaru cousins who were the only two surviving Masters of Chaldea, the others either dead, or in emergency cryosuspension. It wasn't until more were found amongst the staff of Chaldea, and Harry was retrieved from Camelot, that they could field more. The dark-haired, earnest-looking Japanese was like him in many ways, if a bit more dorky.

Next to him was Mash Kyrielight, a genetically-engineered and magically-enhanced human designed to become a Demi-Servant. Although dressed in what looked like a lab uniform, her violet eyes behind glasses, the pale-skinned and lavender-haired teenager had the power and abilities of Sir Galahad, being able to materialise a rather skimpy-looking armour and a massive shield, Lord Camelot. She would have died before long, had it not been for the intervention of 'Fou', a creature that looked vaguely like a small, fluffy dog with pale white fur, but was really a Phantasmal Beast known as Cath Pulug. Now, she theoretically had a normal human lifespan. Theoretically. She was now about his age, eighteen.

Harry smiled at the two, remembering when they came to help him in that damned dungeon underneath the fort. Even though he was suspicious of them for coming along with Cursed Arm, what with the Death Eater-like mask, they proved themselves to be allies, no, friends. Here, while not everyone liked him, he still felt welcome.

His world may have been where he was born, but Chaldea would be his home.

Still, he'd be heading back before long, and with his friends by his side, as well as his lover. Even if Chaldea was his home now, he wanted to make sure everyone he cared about was safe. Because he knew that, even without Voldemort, they weren't, not with the Pseudo-Singularity squatting on top of them…

**CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, we've had Da Vinci give a briefing, and Harry's feelings on what is his new home. And King Hassan was responsible for the Deathly Hallows? Yipes.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	4. Chapter 3: Mary

**CHAPTER 3:**

**MARY**

_She wept as he left the tent, telling the guards not to let her pass. She could easily get past them in a hurry, but she didn't want to. Not anymore. This was but one mission of many she had undertaken for the order she now led, and yet, it proved to be the one that broke the fragile shell around her soul._

_With each seduction, each assassination, each living thing she killed with her touch alone, she died inside. Or rather, her soul was eroded away. The girl she used to be had already died when she forsook a name she barely remembered. Even now, she only remembered the name of Maryam but vaguely. Only her face remained, being one of the few of her kind to keep one, as her face was needed for her work._

_But this time, she couldn't do it. The general's suspicions ended up having her confess, and beg for her demise. But he seemed torn, especially given the emotions she showed, so, for now, he'd left his tent to think, having her a prisoner._

_As she knelt there, miserably, in the dim tent, she felt a presence, something ominous. Then, a bell seemed to toll, a single note of a dirge. And the tent seemed to be filled with a cold mist._

_She knew this presence. Every member of her order did. It was one to be feared above all others. And yet, although she felt overwhelming fear, a smile of relief touched her features._

"…**Thou must know why I hath come, Hassan of Serenity.**"

_The deep, resonant voice was like the proclamation of a deity. Trying and failing to keep a hitch of fear from her voice, she said, "Yes, Great Founder. I…I welcome your advent."_

"**Dost thou truly desire this?**" _The voice spoke, a little softer than before, and with a strange element of surprise to it._

_"I…realise my folly, Great Founder. There is but one way for me to atone for that, is that not? I…I spent so long on the path, perfecting my body, making it exude poison to kill…but…I went too far. Now I cannot do anything but kill with my touch. I…I…I cannot do this anymore. I cannot accept your advent without fear or with as much dignity as I should…but I will accept it with relief."_

_A pause. Then, she heard the voice once more. Soft, perhaps even kindly_. "**Stand. And look upon my mien ere thou hand over thy head. Muster what paltry scraps of thine dignity and courage left to thee, Hassan of Serenity.**"

_She nodded, and mustered the courage and will to stand, and then turned to face him. The Founder of their order. The one who would take her life._

_She couldn't help but quail a little at the sight of him, a massive figure, clad in a tattered cloak over dark armour, his head concealed by a skull-like helmet, from which a pair of glowing blue eyes peered at her balefully. But she steeled herself, and met his gaze. "…Great Founder, I am ready."_

"**Aye. Those I come to are ready for my blade, whether they believe so or not. But thy acceptance is rare, thy acceptance of thine folly. This, then, is but a mercy, not a punishment. I shall administer it to thee now. Fare thee well.**"

_All she saw of his slash was but the slightest flash. Not even a sting of pain touched her neck. But she knew the blow had been struck. She mustered up a smile, even as blessed darkness began to consume her. "…Thank you."_

_She never felt her head topple off her body and hit the floor of the tent._

* * *

Mary's eyes opened, a brief gasp escaping her lips, her mind taking a brief moment to realise where she was. And she was sharing a bed with Harry, cuddling him from behind. Servants didn't need sleep unless they needed to conserve mana, but she slept with Harry, in both the most literal sense of the term and, recently, in the more carnal sense, simply because she needed that contact with him.

As one of the only humans here who didn't die from her touch (the Fujimarus could, though that seemed to have something to do with their contract with Mash, her Noble Phantasm having protective properties against poison), he was like an oasis to a traveller dying of thirst. Though she didn't like the modern slang of being 'thirsty' for sex. It was more affection and physical contact she craved than a desire for sex, despite her method of assassination.

She sat up, sitting on the side of the bed, clad in nothing but shadows. In the darkness, she examined her hands. She remembered how often Harry had to insist on her calling him Harry rather than Master. It took a long time for the habit to go away, and she'd only managed to shake it shortly before they headed off to deal with the Babylonia Singularity. It was partly because of her generally submissive personality, but in large part thanks to her finding someone whom she could touch and not kill. For such a person, she could do anything, even, albeit with the utmost reluctance, take on the Great Founder.

But Harry did not want a Servant or a slave. He wanted a friend. It was how he approached most of his relationships with the other Servants, save for some of the darker ones. He treated them like friends or family. Then again, so did the Fujimarus. The best Masters, it turned out, were not those with the most mana reserves or the best strategic thinking, though those played a role. Rather, it was those who tried to form a rapport with their Servants. Few Magi would ever think of such a thing.

But Mary, the Assassin Servant who claimed the title of Hassan of Serenity, could also claim to have claimed one thing uniquely: Harry's heart. It took time for true love to bloom, but Mary understood why. She had been more than a little clingy at first, and it took a lecture from him for her to realise that. She was grateful, too, that the worst of the competition was focused on Gudao. Tamamo and Kiyohime were frequently clashing about bedding their Master, even though he was more in a relationship with Mash. A few Servants would flirt with Harry, but they seemed to focus on Gudao and Ritsuka.

The Great Founder, though, had considered another reason for her attraction to Harry. Harry, he seemed to indicate, was of the Peverell line of wizards, a trio of brothers who somehow managed to temporarily utilise the Second True Magic, and attack Alamut, at a time when the Order of Assassins had been only freshly founded, and the Great Founder had not become the powerhouse he now was. Two of them had stolen items of considerable power, Mystic Codes crafted by the Great Founder's Magus advisor.

A third, however, had stayed behind, attempting to help the Great Founder in a fit of compassion, saving him from some traitors who sought to topple the Great Founder from his pedestal. In gratitude, and recognising a virtuous heart compared to that of his brothers, the Great Founder granted him the Cloak of Invisibility, which by that point, the Great Founder had little need of. Perhaps, the Great Founder had mused to Mary, that a sort of binding of fate had brought them together.

"**_This boy is very much like Ignotus Peverell_**," the Great Founder had spoken to her once on the matter, when giving her his blessing to continue their relationship. "**_Few would show much compassion to a foe. He may not be of our faith, but he holds something more precious than faith. Even the Crusaders had many amongst their number who were truly valorous, rather than their blinkered fanaticism masquerading as faith. He is valorous and compassionate, and has a strength of will a Servant can be proud of. I admonish thee to remain ever faithful to him, and I will admonish him to remain ever faithful to thee in return._**"

As if she would be unfaithful to Harry. Her body, her Noble Phantasm, would prevent her relationship with most others. _Zabaniya: Delusional Poison Body_. Her greatest gift, and her greatest curse.

Every Hassan-i Sabbah possessed a unique ability, with the title of _Zabaniya_, named for the guardians of Hell(1). Cursed Arm possessed a demonic arm that allowed him to crush a phantom heart of the opponent he touched with said arm, killing them instantly. Hundred-Face weaponised their split personality, giving them scores of bodies with varying personalities and abilities. And she, from a young age, was trained to become a _Visha Kanya_, as the Indians called her kind. A poisonous maiden.

Well, not that she was a maiden now. She blushed slightly at the memory of last night. She was lucky that, for all his youth, he was an attentive lover. She doubted many men of her era would have been so caring for her own pleasure. She could never bear a child thanks to her poisonous body (to say nothing of her status as a Servant), but to have a lover was something she never dreamed possible. It was at least some consolation.

Still…they were heading back to Harry's world. Would she find his friends agreeable? Would they find her agreeable? One bone of contention between Harry and the Hassans were the skull masks, the ones that resembled those the Death Eaters wore. And, of course, she was a member of an infamous sect of Assassins, once their leader, even if only for a couple of years.

Well, it mattered little in the end. They had to resolve this Pseudo-Singularity. It may not have been on her world, but letting any of the Demon Pillars go free was a mistake. The problems in Shinjuku, Agartha, Shimosa and Salem proved that. And if Harry's friends could not accept the changes done to him…then perhaps they weren't his friends in the first place, just parasites attracted to his fame…

* * *

Later that morning, they came to breakfast at the canteen. Soon, Atalanta, along with her two adopted children, sat down in front of them. "Good morning," Harry said. "Sleep well?"

"The girls are excited about the upcoming mission to your world," Atalanta said. Mary knew that the cat-eared huntress was from Ancient Greece, and that the ears and tail were a result of a curse that turned her into a lioness at the end of her life. While stern and stiff to those she didn't know well, she had a friendly side once you got to know her, and she especially had a fondness for children. Hence why she adopted two.

"Of course," Jack the Ripper chirped. One would not have considered the infamous serial killer and Assassin Servant to be a pre-teen girl with silvery white hair, golden eyes, and a couple of scars on an otherwise cute face. However, Jackie was not a normal girl, a sort of gestalt of wraiths of children who died on the streets of Victorian London, as well as the vestigial souls of foetuses aborted by clumsy back-alley doctors at the time. In other words, an anthropomorphic personification of the dark side of Victorian London. Possessing no moral compass, all she desired was to return to the warmth of the womb. Now, however, due to being raised by Atalanta, she was much closer to a normal child, albeit one with a disturbing knack for killing. They had met, albeit on bad terms, during a previous Grail War, but had since reconciled.

"Mhmm," Alice said with a nod as she ate her own food. Alice's true name was 'Nursery Rhyme', being not so much a person as much as an anthropomorphic personification of nursery rhymes and children's stories. Even her chosen form was based on a Master she had in another timeline. Pale hair, Victorian dress, and an innocence that belied her power.

"We're assigned to your squad as protection," Atalanta said. "While Merlin, Medea and Mary may be good at combat, Da Vinci needed a full squad to go with you, and we volunteered. Medusa is coming as well. The Pendragons were going to go with you, but Ritsuka asked for them, as she's heading to Hogsmeade near Hogwarts, and there may be powerful Servants there."

"Hope Mordred doesn't cause much trouble," Harry muttered.

"She has the knack for it," Mary observed.

"We…I saw that for myself when I fought her in Sighişoara," Jackie said. She had a habit of talking of herself in plurals, something her adoptive mother was trying to break her out of. "But she has her mummy-daddy to look out for her."

"Still…suburbia in the modern day is not my ideal hunting ground," Atalanta said. "Not unless there are trees nearby. And if there are Servants nearby…"

"Around Privet Drive? Normally I doubt it, but given the stuff we've been through, well, what did Moody say? _Constant Vigilance!_" Harry barked out the last sentence, causing Jackie and Alice to giggle.

"He sounds funny," Alice said with a smile.

"Yeah, but he looks like something Heracles chewed up and spat out," Harry said. "I don't know whether anything can scare you two, but…"

"…My past," Jackie said softly. "Being without Mummy. Atalanta-Mummy, I mean. And you'd be scared of losing Harry, wouldn't you, Mary?"

Mary nodded solemnly. "He is the world to me," she admitted softly.

"We will protect you, Harry," Atalanta said solemnly. "Any of our Masters, we would do so."

"…Thanks, Atalanta. But I knew that already. I won't take it for granted, but I trust you to watch my back."

Mary knew that this included her most of all. Despite a somewhat shaky beginning, she would protect him. She would protect his body, just as he had saved her heart and soul…

**CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, a chapter from the POV of Mary/Serenity, including some insight into her sad demise.**

**Also, Atalanta becoming Jackie and Alice's adoptive mother comes from GhostXavier's excellent slice-of-life fic ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****. Give it a whirl if you haven't already.**

**1\. I didn't learn this until recently, where the name of the Hassans' Noble Phantasms came from. The Zabaniyya are the angels who guard Hell, and torment the damned in Islam.**


	5. Chapter 4: Homecoming

**CHAPTER 4:**

**HOMECOMING**

As the familiar azure vortex, like something out of _Doctor Who_, faded away, Harry found himself standing in a very familiar park, a septet of Servants in tow. Merlin soon cast illusion magecraft over the Master and Servant party, just in case. Activating the communicator headset, he said, "Down and safe." It was a habit of his since seeing episodes of _Blake's 7_ from the cupboard(1).

Da Vinci's face appeared in a holographic display, albeit one only the party could see. Others could hear her, though. "_Great! How far are you from your home?_"

"A few minutes' walk," Harry said. "You got me pretty close, considering. How are the others?"

"_Down and safe, as you put it_," Da Vinci said. "_Ritsuka is in what may be the Shrieking Shack you told us about, and Gudao is near Charing Cross in London._"

Medea frowned, the blue-haired, elven-eared beauty peering around the moonlit park. While she and Atalanta had had their issues, thanks to Medea's actions and Atalanta's lack thereof on the _Argo_, they worked together well now, and had become friends again. "Merlin."

Merlin nodded in acknowledgement. He seemed to be an effeminate young man with bluish white hair. "I think we can sense where your house is, Harry." The usually easy-going Magus of Flowers was all-business. "I think an illusion to make us effectively invisible should be better. Jack…be our vanguard. We are looking for 4 Privet Drive."

The child Assassin nodded, seemingly melting away into shadow. This was the Presence Concealment skill all Assassins had. They waited a few minutes, before Jackie's voice said, through their link, "_I've found the house. We…I don't like the Bounded Field in place. It reminds me a bit of Aunt Medusa's Blood Fort Andromeda._"

"Anyone nearby?" Atalanta asked her adopted daughter. Medusa, a tall, buxom beauty with purple hair and wearing a daring toga-like outfit and a rigid blindfold, frowned.

"_Yes. There's a woman underneath a Mystic Code that makes her invisible, but we can smell her. What should I do?_"

Medea said, "Knock her out. I will interrogate her once we have time…"

* * *

Harry didn't recognise the woman in punkish clothes and with bubblegum pink hair. But he did recognise the street he was in. But as he approached his former residence, Mary held him back. "Wait. We do not wish the Bounded Field to affect you," she said in her soft tones. Thankfully, she wasn't wearing her skull mask, as she didn't want to get mistaken for a Death Eater. Atalanta had gone to find a lookout perch to snipe from, just in case.

Merlin approached the house carefully, holding out a hand, as did Medea and Medusa. "Nasty," Medea remarked. "What a shame. Such a beautiful piece of magic, twisted into something cruel."

"It seems our darling little Assassin wasn't far off the mark when she said this was not unlike Blood Fort Andromeda," Merlin said.

"But not quite," Medusa said in her soft voice. "Blood Fort Andromeda works by sapping mana from a specific area to fuel myself, usually killing those within the field of effect in the process. This merely siphons it at a low rate to power a number of Bounded Fields. My knowledge of magic is not that great. My apologies."

"That's fine, Medusa," Medea said. "There's definitely a protective barrier here, keyed to a certain signature of magic. Anyone with that signature, a rather dark one, would be warded away…or even killed. Maybe that has something to do with whatever your mother did, Harry, as it seems to be keyed to you. However, these other enchantments…"

Merlin nodded. "The mundanes in here…their negative emotions are being amplified. I can't tell whether this is deliberate, or whether it's an accidental result of tampering with the established ward. It's keyed to you, which suggests this was originally a result of the ritual your mother used to save your life, Harry. Again, I cannot tell whether the effects of the Bounded Field were deliberately engineered or just an accidental result of tampering. It's so messy, I can't tell."

"I think we'd better speak to our guest, then," Medea said, before she walked over to where the woman was lying on the lawn, concealed by a Bounded Field Merlin erected.

Harry was about to join them, when he noticed Mary glaring at the house he had once been forced to call home. He put a hand on her shoulder. "Not now."

"…Understood," she said, forcing down her anger, understated though it was, under a mask of professionalism. He knew she wanted to kill them. So did he, in his darkest moments, but that wasn't what they were there for.

Medea revived the woman, who looked shocked and bemused. "Huh? What the hell? Who are you people?"

"You probably wouldn't believe us if we told you," Merlin said. "However, we find it odd that you are watching the home of an…associate of ours."

"Associate? Are you with those godawful Muggles?" Her eyes widened, and her hair became lighter. "Or do you know where Harry is?"

"That depends on who is asking, girl," Medea said. "Who are you, and are you friend or foe?"

"Oi, I'm the Auror, I'm the one who should be asking the questions," the woman said.

"A magical police officer, how quaint," Medea said, looking down their captive. "So, are you working for the local authorities, Dumbledore, or Voldemort?"

The woman flinched at the name of Voldemort, but she said, "Look, I'm doing a favour for Dumbledore. He thought that, if Harry came back, he'd end up here. I'm Tonks…just Tonks. Look, if you know where Harry is…well, tell him…from his godfather, 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'."

Harry frowned. While he didn't know this Tonks woman, that did suggest she knew at least one of the Marauders…but that also could mean Pettigrew. "…Check her arm."

Tonks did so herself, rolling up her sleeves. "Hey, I don't have the Dark Mark. Look, who are you people?"

Before they could answer, a blood-curdling howl echoed through the night sky. A very familiar one to Harry and his Servants. Harry immediately activated his communicator. "Archer!" he snapped, using class names because of the possibility of an enemy force nearby. "Can you see them?"

"…_Yes. They just materialised. The Avenger Servant we encountered in Shinjuku while dealing with Moriarty. I was wondering why the FATE system didn't summon them like they did Moriarty or Yan Qing. It seems we know why now. They're coming your way!_"

"What? What's going on?!" Tonks yelped. Then, her eyes widened as she saw something prowl down the street, her hair suddenly standing on end and white. "_What the fuck is __**that?!**_"

"A Servant," Medea muttered. "An Avenger one we encountered in Shinjuku…Wolf King Lobo, ridden by a Hessian mercenary. The Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, astride an infamous wolf."

It was a figure out of a nightmare. The massive wolf was bluish-white, almost made of blue fire, its golden eyes peering at them balefully, all but glowing in the dark street. Riding it as if it was a horse was a headless figure in old-fashioned military uniform, wielding a pair of sickle-like blades.

"…This is bad," Merlin muttered. "Whoever sent them here doesn't care about collateral damage or witnesses. Lure them back to the park. We'll be better able to deal with them there. You too, Miss Tonks. As I believe that rather quaint movie said, 'Come with me if you want to live'."

Tonks didn't seem inclined to argue, but then, there was a whipcrack-like noise. "Oi, Tonks, I came to relieve ya," a rather shifty-looking individual said, before he noticed the others, but not the Hessian Lobo, as they had dubbed the Avenger of Shinjuku. "Who…?"

With a roar, the Hessian Lobo charged forward, and grabbed the man in its jaws, tearing him apart. "Dung!" Tonks yelled, but was dragged away by Medea. "Let me go!"

"He's dead already!" Medea snarled. "Come on, unless you want to follow him into Hades!"

They fled, Harry grimacing at the thought of leaving the man to die, but the Avenger Servant had already begin tearing him apart before they could even react. As they ran, Harry yelled into his communicator, "Archer! If we can lure this monster into the park, can you use your Noble Phantasm to target them, and only them?"

"_I can restrict it, but there's a risk of you getting caught up in it. I'll snipe instead, see if I can hit the damned beast in a weak spot. I think I know the right ones from last time._"

"Wait, what? Archer? Like…" Tonks began, only to catch herself.

They made it into the park, only to be forced to scatter as the Hessian Lobo charged at them, its muzzle covered in gore. However, away from prying eyes, as Merlin erected a Bounded Field to shield the battle from witnesses, Medea raised a hand, a violet sigil materialising. A blast of energy smashed into the Hessian Lobo, sending it sprawling with a snarl.

"_Unknown places are where the fire-breathing dragons and cloud-breathing giants live_," Alice intoned. "_Illusions dance like shadowy ghosts on the wall. Adults seem to speak a lot in lies, but truth resides deep within Professor Dodgson's mind._"

A winged monster, grotesque and muscled, emerged from the darkness, smashing down on the Avenger Servant with a roar, shaking the ground. Jabberwocky, one of Alice's Noble Phantasms, or rather, an entity she could summon with her Noble Phantasm Nursery Rhyme. However, the Avenger Servant seemed to be even more resilient than before, managing to shove the Jabberwocky off it with a roar of fury.

Medusa lashed her chained daggers at the Hessian Lobo, trying to restrain it…but then, it became a moot point, when an arrow lanced from the sky, and smashed into the Avenger's body. It howled in pain, before it Astralized hastily. "…Did we force it to retreat?" Medusa asked. "Was that your handiwork, Archer?"

"_No, it wasn't. I was waiting for the right opportunity. Another attacked._"

"Indeed. I was in the area on my Master's request," came a calm, collected voice.

Out of the treeline walked a tall, brown-haired man with serene handsome features, tanned skin, and Grecian clothing. His forest green eyes looked at them. Oddly enough, he seemed to have a horse's tail coming from his backside.

"Archer?" Tonks asked, confused. It was clear that she had met the man before.

"I'm here, Nymphadora."

"Don't call me that! Listen, Dung's dead, and that thing…what the fuck was that thing?"

"It was like me, but of a different class, a particularly vile example of the class known as Avenger," Archer said, before he looked past their heads. "…I mean you no harm, Atalanta. If the Avenger was after you, then we are on the same side…are we not, Medea?"

Medea's lips thinned. "Are we…_Chiron?_"

Harry frowned. Of the Servants who had participated in the Great Holy Grail War in Romania, Chiron, the famous centaur who taught other heroes, wasn't one of the ones who had ended up in Chaldea yet. He had been on an opposing side to Atalanta, Spartacus, Mordred, Karna and Shakespeare, and he had been an ally to the side Astolfo, Siegfried, Frankenstein's creation, and Vlad Tepes had belonged to. Jack the Ripper had been independent due to her original Master being killed…admittedly by Jackie herself.

Chiron nodded. "That beast was sent to murder my Master and her family. It was only by summoning me that she survived, but her parents did not. And…if I'm not mistaken…I believe she will be pleased to see this young man."

"Huh? Who?" Tonks asked.

"Nymphadora, your mind has been tricked by an illusion spell, one designed to deter most people, including wizards. While I don't know these others, I know that this woman is Medea of Colchis. This girl…she is the Assassin I met in Romania." He knelt in front of Jackie. "…You seem a lot better now, Assassin. Have you found happiness?"

"Yep! Mummy keeps us warm and fed and loved! Me and Alice!"

"Alice?" Chiron asked, before looking at the young Caster. "I see." Then, Atalanta approached from the treeline. "Atalanta…I'm glad to see you no longer in the grips of madness. Though I have to confess to being surprised to see seven Servants fielded by a single Master."

"It's a long story, Chiron. While I appreciate the help against the Hessian Lobo, I still have to ask, are you friend or foe?"

"Friend, I hope. Because your Master, if I'm not mistaken, is Harry Potter. Am I not correct?"

"Your eyes see far, Sage of Heroes," Merlin said, as Harry fought down a surge of panic. "Admittedly, I was mostly trying to conceal our looks from onlookers, not Servants."

"Wait, what? This is Harry?" Tonks peered at Harry. "Nah, can't be him, he looks different."

Merlin sighed, waving a hand, causing Tonks to slump over, the effeminate Magus of Flowers catching her. "Did you have to tell her? We were under illusion spells for a reason, Chiron."

"My apologies. Anyway, my Master is about to arrive. I think she'll be glad to see you, Harry."

Harry had to wonder what he meant, only to hear a huffing and puffing, as someone dashed out of the treeline. "…Archer, did you have to run on ahead without me?"

"You had the Portkey Lupin enchanted, to bring you back to the safehouse. Anyway…I believe you know this young gentleman?"

Merlin sighed, waving a hand, and Harry felt, albeit distantly, the illusion spell dissipate. Distantly, because he was staring at a very familiar face he hadn't seen for two years. A pretty one, framed by a bushy mass of hair, and brown eyes staring at him in shock. Then, after a moment, her wand was out, aiming at Harry. Harry stilled the Servants with a gesture as they made to attack her. "…How did we rescue Padfoot back in our third year?"

"On Buckbeak the Hippogriff. Only…Buckbeak has nothing on the one Astolfo rides."

"…So it is you. I'm sorry, I had to make sure, but…you look older, Harry. And…well, let's just say we need to be careful." The girl, after pocketing her wand, ran over and hugged him. "…I missed you, Harry."

"…I missed you too, Hermione. I missed you too…"

**CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

**What's this? Hermione has Chiron as a Servant? And Hessian Lobo is on the loose? Yikes.**

**Now, I delayed posting this because I decided to see how far I could get through the Camelot Chapter. Lo and behold, I only needed the Command Seals on Gawain. I didn't even need an SQ on Lancer Arturia…sorry, 'Goddess Rhongomyniad'. Though to be fair, support Servants from my friends list helped. Here's a little tip for those who want to beat her: Mordred's Noble Phantasm does extra damage against 'Arthur' enemies. Of course, there are as many ways to beat her as there are Servant combos and ways of playing, but still…anyway, I'll be putting off starting Babylonia for a while. I need to level up Mash.**

**Also, why the hell did that misogynistic bastard Agravain have anything like a happy ending, huh?! He should've learned about Arturia's true gender at the last moment, gone on a misogynistic tirade that would have ended in assisted suicide via Rhongomyniad…or Excalibur. So…for my story, he got Zabaniya'd by Serenity instead. Because fuck him.**

**In addition, regarding the latest stage of the Paul Bunyan event…WTF? I mean, I have read the ****_Learning with Manga_**** webcomic, but I have to admit, I did not see that one coming. While I won't spoil the twist, I get the distinct impression that the development team don't really like us…**

**Review-answering time! ****Beowolf 83****: Well, a Servant Harry won't be summoned. This isn't to say one doesn't exist in the realm of this story, just that there are circumstances preventing that.**

**Gabriel Herrol****: Oh, thank you very much for the nightmarish image of Pansy Parkinson as a bloody futa. I had gotten tired of sleeping at night. Ugh, gonna have to wash out my brain…**

**meemapeow****: Look, I go by the philosophy that, if more dakka isn't working, you're not using enough. :P And I have a challenge about how King Hassan was the one to create the Hallows, so I thought I'd write that into this story. Yeah, he's a badass in the game, but I'd imagine that when he first started, he could potentially be taken down by someone else. I deliberately posted this as a ****_Fate/Grand Order_**** crossover partly because I wanted it to show up on my profile that I have done a ****_Fate/Grand Order_**** fic.**

**harripotterette****: Yes, I have read ****_Fate's Gamble_****. Not all the way through, but I have read through much of it, and it goes without saying that Lupine Horror's works were amongst those that actually got me interested in the Nasuverse in the first place.**

**1\. "Down and safe" was a frequent catchphrase of members of the ****_Liberator_**** crew when they got teleported down to a planet's surface in ****_Blake's 7_****. Which, despite the campness and low budget, is a brilliant science fiction series that I have to recommend.**


	6. Chapter 5: The New Marauders

**CHAPTER 5:**

**THE NEW MARAUDERS**

Within the hour, they were currently ensconced in a living room at what was called 12 Grimmauld Place. Or at least, that's the address that was on the piece of paper they had been shown by Hermione: '_The New Marauders' HQ is at 12 Grimmauld Place_'. They were hurried in by Hermione, and she left Chiron to watch over them, while Tonks was taken elsewhere.

Eventually, a familiar, to Harry, figure walked through the door. The haggard features of Sirius Black, albeit a lot healthier than when Harry saw him last, peered at him. "Hermione administered the test," Chiron said. "He answered correctly, saying that he rescued you on Buckbeak."

"I see," Sirius said, before eventually deciding to walk over and hug Harry. "…Harry…I thought you were dead. I thought you had died," he all but sobbed.

"…So did I, for a time," Harry said. "I remember thinking, when the Portkey went out of control, that I couldn't save anyone, that I'd do anything to be able to have a chance to save people once more. It's a very long story."

"…I'll get Remus and the Weasleys in here, and Tonks, once we get her awake again," Sirius said. "But…I think it's a long story, on both sides…"

* * *

And indeed it was. Sirius, Remus, Hermione, and Ron were all present, with the Twins currently out on their own errands. Da Vinci spoke to them via holographic projection from the communicators. Eventually, once all was said and done, Remus sat back, pinching the bridge of his nose wearily. "…That explains a hell of a lot of what's been going on lately. A hell of a lot."

"You're taking this very well," Harry said.

Ron yawned, looking like he wanted to sleep. "Look, mate, it's been pretty bloody hectic since you disappeared. When Snape reported to Dumbledore that you disappeared, that Voldemort believed you to be dead…well, that's when things really got heated, right? A lot of people who had sided with Dumbledore told him to shove it where the Sun doesn't shine. But my parents, and Ginny…well, they think the Sun _does_ shine from there. Of course, that was only the beginning."

Hermione nodded, though she looked like she wanted to interrogate Merlin and Medea and find out everything they knew about magic. "…A few weeks ago, my home was attacked by that Servant, the one you were fighting. When my mother and father died, my magic lashed out…and somehow, I summoned Chiron. He drove the Servant away. Anyway, Ron, you forgot to mention about who changed that trophy into a Portkey to the graveyard."

"Oh, right. Get this, Harry. It was Mad-Eye Moody! Only, it wasn't Mad-Eye Moody at all! He was Barty Crouch Junior. His parents faked his death and smuggled him out of Azkaban, with his dying mother left in his place. Or so we heard from Dumbledore after he interrogated him. Problem is, Fudge brought in a Dementor, who Kissed him. And Fudge reckons Voldemort ain't back, that Crouch was full of it. He's been running a smear campaign against Dumbledore ever since."

Da Vinci, on her holographic display, frowned. "_So, why are you people here?_"

"…I broke off with Dumbledore. We're sharing intelligence, with Tonks being our go-between, but that's it," Sirius said. "After what happened to Harry, I'd had enough. James and Lily died, I was left in Azkaban to rot, now Harry was dead, to say nothing of Cedric Diggory. He seems to value Snivellous more than anyone else. The problem is, Arthur and Molly still believe in him, and Ginny and Bill follow their parents' lead. They have reformed the Order of the Phoenix. Moony and I have formed the New Marauders. We soon found ourselves able to summon our own Servants, but they were out on patrol when Chiron and Hermione found you two. At least until now. Mine and Ron's have just come back."

"Indeed I have," spoke a French-accented voice, before a pale man in a lavish suit with a cape over it materialised. "Servant Avenger. I have been listening to your conversation. As Sirius seems to trust you, and you have given your names, I shall give mine. I am Edmond Dantés, better known as the Count of Monte Cristo."

And then, a cocky voice rang out. "Hey, Missy, been a long time." And with that, a handsome man with spiky hair and dressed in Greek armour appeared.

Atalanta grimaced. "I thought I told you never to call me that, Achilles."

"Yeah, well, I've never been one to take good advice," Achilles remarked. "Anyone else from Trifas in Chaldea?"

"Everyone barring you two, as well as Avicebron, so I was told Caster of Black was called, and Semiramis," Atalanta said. "The priest is around, but he is helping Chaldea. As for Jeanne d'Arc…I have made my peace with her."

"Glad to hear that, Missy. Would've been awkward, otherwise," Achilles said. "By the way, nice to meet you at last, Medea. My old man wished he could have helped you more, told me that you got a pretty rough deal with Jason."

Medea's lips thinned. "I would rather not speak of such things, Achilles."

"Hey, just know, I'm willing to talk. Anyway, bit of a motley crew here. Aside from Jack the Ripper there, you've got a living storybook, one of the Hassan-i Sabbah, and the most infamous Gorgon. I'd love to see who's back in Chaldea. But we've got bigger problems to deal with, haven't we?"

"And in other news, the ocean is wet," Medea snarked. "Chiron, I know you are a good teacher, so please remind your student of the banality of stating the obvious."

Chiron coughed to cover his smile. "Achilles has always been somewhat headstrong. But he isn't wrong. If there really is a Demon Pillar behind this mess, then we need to deal with it. The problem is finding them or their agents. While Voldemort is a possibility, we just don't know whether they were acting through someone else. Voldemort seems like he is too obvious. Then again, if there are two, as you have theorised, Da Vinci, he may be influenced by one Demon Pillar."

"A more immediate concern is how to deal with Harry's survival," Remus pointed out. "You're missing, presumed dead, and there's rumblings in the Ministry that you might have been involved with Cedric's disappearance, whispers that Malfoy and his cronies are encouraging. While Dumbledore is the one whose name is being dragged through the mud, your name hasn't exactly remained squeaky clean. And there's explaining away the fact that you've aged two years."

"Yeah," Tonks said. "That's gonna be more than a little tricky."

"Actually, it's simpler than you'd think," Medea said. "As a Caster, as well as a Magus from the Age of Gods, it would be simple to craft a Mystic Code to change his appearance."

"Can we trust you, though?" Ron asked. "I mean, you _are_ Medea, aren't you?"

Medea bristled. "Your point, boy?"

Harry sighed. "Ron…Medea's not the nicest of people, but she got royally screwed over by Aphrodite and Jason. I trust her completely and utterly. She's saved my life on more than one occasion. So has Medusa, and Mary, and Jack the Ripper. They may not be what most people think of as heroes, but they're still heroes. But even if you do change my appearance, there's explaining away what happened to Cedric. I couldn't retrieve his body from the mass grave those bastards dumped him into in the Camelot Singularity. And there's explaining away what happened to me."

"We'll work something out," Sirius said. "I'm a bit wary of letting Dumbledore or any of the others know you're still alive. There's something going on, and I'm not sure whether it has anything to do with the Demon Pillars…"

* * *

Soon after their conference was finished, Mary found herself bearded by Hermione, who brought her into a library, thankfully not touching her. "…I'm sorry to drag you away from all that, but…I want to know something. About you and Harry."

Mary frowned. "…What do you mean?"

"I know you two are together. You may not have stated it outright, but you seemed much closer to him than I would have thought for a relationship between Master and Servant. I'm surprised that he would end up with one of the leaders of the Assassins, of all people. So, I need to ask…what is he to you?"

"…_Everything_," Mary said. While she did not appreciate the interrogation, she knew that Hermione was one of Harry's oldest friends. "While you know of my title as Hassan of Serenity, you do not know what that is. It is just as well you did not touch my skin in bringing me here, Hermione. Do you know of the legends of the _Visha Kanya?_"

"…I do. An Indian legend, where girls were subjected to mithridatism, a course of poisons and antidotes that built up their resistance to poisons and…oh God, Mary…you're poisonous to the touch?"

"Yes. When Harry was captured by the forces of the Lion King, Sir Agravain forced him to touch my body. However, he did not perish. Do you understand, Hermione, what that means to me? My poison is innocuous if, say, I share cutlery, as long as I don't actively exude more poison. But to touch my skin directly is to court death. The Casters in Chaldea have been working on a solution, but even Medea and those with Item Construction at a high rank cannot create something without the right materials. But to be able to touch a living being without them dying…I will admit, I became somewhat infatuated. Harry managed to correct that, as did the admonitions of the Great Founder, the one who was the original Hassan-i Sabbah. During the Camelot Singularity, we became friends and allies. Now…I would fight even the Great Founder for him, even if it may cost our lives. You can trust me because Harry is everything to me. Does that satisfy you?"

Hermione nodded, somewhat morosely. "…Yes. I…I can't say that I'm not jealous. Most of my feelings for Harry are like a sister's or a friends, true, but…some part of me did consider wanting to be his girlfriend. Still, you're very different to what I expected from one of the Assassin Order."

"I am sure. Harry told me that you thirst for knowledge as a man in the desert thirsts for water. Perhaps we may speak some time about the Order, though the Hundred-Faced Hassan is more of a scholar than I."

"I think I'd like to do more than that," Hermione said quietly. "…My parents are dead. And if it's possible to travel back to your universe…I might just go, once this mess is dealt with. I'm not sure there's anything left for me here. I mean…Chaldea sounds so damned interesting! Heroes from history and myth…I mean, even if they're not what I thought they were…they'd still be so interesting to speak to. I mean, you have Leonardo da Vinci as your commander, even if he's…well, a she. And there's Harry. He was my first friend, not just at Hogwarts, but ever. I don't want to lose that."

"I see. Given that our universes are once more in sync, perhaps we can call upon the help of Zelretch. However, the priority is this Pseudo-Singularity."

"Of course. He's…changed, though, and not just in age. He seems both weary…and yet free. Even after what horrors he must've gone through…Chaldea seems to be where he belongs," Hermione said. "He doesn't have to deal with his fame anymore. He can be a hero if he wants to be, not because he's expected to be by reputation. Just…keep him safe, Mary, okay?"

"You do not need to ask, Hermione. He has given my life a value it did not have before. However, he is…shall we say…headstrong?"

Hermione's knowing giggle told Mary all she needed to know on the matter…

* * *

"…Merlin, come take a look at this."

Merlin frowned. While poking around the house, they'd been confronted by one of the Fae's servitors, if the Magus of Flowers wasn't mistaken. Ones which the wizards of this world harnessed for their own purposes. It was easy to paralyse the little bugger (he'd had to endure attacks from a Phantasmal Beast like Cath Pulug, a House Elf, as Sirius had called him, was a doddle), but they were peering through a collection of items it had been guarding.

Medea was gently levitating a locket in the air, and Merlin all but recoiled from it. He didn't even need to analyse it magically. "What foul magic is this? My, someone's been **_very_** careless with their soul. Splitting it to create a phylactery. Still…what to do about this?"

"Destroy it," Medea said grimly.

"Hmm…" Merlin turned to the House Elf, Kreacher Sirius called him, who was looking at him, not with any anger or fear anymore, but something else. "You know what this is, don't you?" He waved a hand. "You may speak, Kreacher."

"…Master Regulus said it was something the Dark Lord created," rasped the ancient House Elf. "Kreacher tried so hard to destroy it…but…but…"

"Wait, what? My brother?" Sirius looked at Kreacher. "…Tell us about it, now."

And so, Kreacher did, spinning a tale of how the Dark Lord used Kreacher in order to conceal this in a cave, how Regulus risked his life, having become disaffected with Voldemort, to have it retrieved. Regulus died to save Kreacher, and Kreacher had been trying to destroy it ever since. Sirius was looking dumbfounded. "…So he did the right thing, in the end. Oh, Merlin…"

"I'm right here, you know," Merlin said with an amused smirk.

"Sorry, force of habit. You said this was a phylactery, right? Something Voldemort created to stay alive?"

"Yes…and given that there only appears to be part of a soul in here, but a mere fragment, nowhere near half…he's created more than one, I'd wager. So, Medea…perhaps we shouldn't be hasty in destroying it, at least right now. It would anchor Voldemort to this mortal plane, correct? And if he has created others…"

Medea nodded. "I get your meaning. Why trap but a single wolf when one can deal with the pack all at once? We'll need to get started on a ritual soon. As if the situation wasn't complicated enough already. We'll need to contact Da Vinci, ask for help from any Casters who could have something to contribute."

Merlin nodded, before turning to the House Elf. "Don't worry, little one. Your master shall be avenged. We will drag Voldemort into oblivion where he belongs…"

**CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, a meeting, some explanations, and there's a schism amongst the Light.**

**Sorry I didn't post this chapter sooner, but the review system stuffed up, and I wanted to be sure I answered all reviews that I felt needed answering.**

**Review-answering time! ****ZLC genesmith****: I'll…pass, thank you. I have enough nightmare fuel without seeing one of the Nasuverse's most sweet and adorable characters corrupted like that. It's hard enough reading what happens to her at the hands of the Female Protagonist in ****_Learning with Manga_****! I'm actually glad we get to kick her arse in the recent ****_All the Statesmen!_**** event.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: Musings

**CHAPTER 6:**

**MUSINGS**

Hermione sighed quietly to herself as she re-entered the Black family library the next morning, Sirius having gotten rid of the worst ones. She had to be careful, still, but it was a welcome distraction from her parents' deaths. She had thrown herself into research, into magic, and into mythological and historical figures. The former was to defend herself, while the latter was to be prepared against any enemy Servants.

She was glad Chiron was there for her. He was more than merely a teacher. In many regards, he had become a substitute father for the heroes he trained. He actually reminded her of her own father, Dan Granger, that calmness and serenity, compared to her mother, from whom she got her stubborn and bossy side.

Chiron had said that she reminded him of his Master in the Great Holy Grail War in Trifas, Fiore Forvedge Yggdmillennia. Not the fact that Fiore was disabled or, apparently, belonged to an organisation led by a former Nazi collaborator who ate souls to stay young, but rather, her fire, intellect, and, well, kindness. While she tried to be as ruthless as the typical Magus, she couldn't manage it.

Anyway, Chiron was a great comfort. He helped her learn more things, her way of coping. And had held her when she needed to just break down and cry. At the moment, he was currently catching up with Achilles, discussing their respective patrols. Now that had been a surprise, Ron summoning one of the most famous heroes of all time.

Still…Harry was back! Alive, a little older, somewhat more scarred, but still the same Harry. And…he was now working for this Chaldea organisation. He'd brought so many Servants with him. Merlin and Atalanta, she could accept were heroes, but it was a surprise to see the likes of Medea, Medusa, and Jack the Ripper, while 'Alice', well, she wasn't sure what to make of a sentient nursery rhyme book. Still, Harry trusted them. And in truth…Hermione had already learned that the world was not black and white, that it was filled with shades of grey.

As she dwelled on those thoughts, the door opened, to reveal Medea, still clad in the robes she wore yesterday, along with Medusa, who was dressed in a jumper and trousers. "I agree with Black," Medea was saying to the buxom Gorgon. "I doubt there is anything you would consider light reading, Medusa."

"Regardless, I wish to do so, at least until we have decided on a course of action," Medusa said. Her gaze settled on Hermione. The blindfold from last night was gone, revealing her pale pink eyes, with rectangular pupils, hidden only by a pair of glasses. Hermione shut her eyes, remembering the myth, only to feel a hand on her shoulder. "My gaze will not petrify you, Hermione, unless I wish it to. My summoning in Chaldea allows me some control over my Mystic Eyes, Cybele, and in any case, these glasses are merely a transfigured form of Breaker Gorgon."

Hermione reluctantly opened her eyes, meeting Medusa's gaze, and saw her having a rather sad smile. "…You're very different to how you're portrayed in myths."

"I'm sure. And I'm used to it. In truth, we Gorgons were deities born from humanity's desire for perfect goddesses. Athena's curse was out of envy. I did become a monster, in the end." Medusa's face fell. "I consumed my sisters, and for all that I curse Perseus…what he did was a mercy. You see me as I am as a Rider Servant, at about the time my curse was first inflicted on me. A form of me, a younger form, exists in Chaldea as a Lancer, wielding the very weapon that took my head: Harpe. And…I once saw what I had become, as an Avenger Servant."

Medea put her hand on the shoulder of Medusa, whose expression had become morose. "…And we stopped her, Medusa. And we managed to stop Tiamat."

"I know," Medusa said, closing her eyes. "But…it still shook me, Medea."

The Princess of Colchis nodded, before peering at Hermione. "As for me…my myth is fairly close to how it was portrayed in the tales, though they failed to emphasize how much Aphrodite influenced me, or how much of a selfish brute Jason was. Or that my children were murdered by the Corinthians. You were fortunate, then, to summon one such as Chiron as your Servant. But we follow Harry's lead. I may be infamous as the Witch of Treachery, but…"

"I'm not worried about that. Well, not really. I just…you're one of the most famous witches to ever live. The knowledge you and Merlin must have between you…"

A smirk touched Medea's lips. "Ah, you're one of those. Then again, Harry said you were. Hermione, Merlin and I are currently working on a ritual that may ensure that the world isn't darkened by Voldemort's presence ever again. However, should we have time, I would be all too happy to answer questions. Hmm, I believe it has been too long since I've had such an enthusiastic student…"

* * *

"…So, King Arthur was really a woman," Sirius said flatly. "And so too was Mordred?"

Harry nodded as he ate the breakfast he'd cooked. "…The place I ended up, what we call the Camelot Singularity, had a version of Arturia who ended up becoming a deity…only, that wasn't a good thing. Arturia's pretty stoic, but she's a decent person. The Lion King, or Goddess Rhongomyniad, or whatever you call her…she was a monster."

Merlin nodded in his own turn, even as he scribbled notes from a book. "It's said that the path to Hell is paved with the best of intentions. I should know, I've walked down that path myself, and I've sent others down that path. The Lion King wished to save humanity from Goetia's insane plan to annihilate it, but…she did so dispassionately, without emotion or empathy or any consideration of others' viewpoints. She believed herself to be utterly in the right. For all that Arturia pretended to perfection, the Lion King embodied it, like a diamond: cold, hard and whose beauty belied the fact that it was all sharp angles. She didn't even attempt to find a way to stop Goetia. All she cared about was saving humanity her way, accepting no other way."

"It was a bit of a shock when my rescuers arrived and Arturia and Mordred were amongst them," Harry said. "It took me a while to trust them."

Mary smiled her gentle smile. "…And yet, they proved to be amongst our best allies. As did Bedivere."

"How fortunate," Edmond Dantés said, crossing his arms, the Avenger Servant peering at them critically. "You say they are at Hogsmeade?"

"Yes. Da Vinci contacted me before," Merlin said. "They're currently investigating the area with Hundred-Face and Cursed Arm. They believe other Servants are in Hogwarts, but otherwise can't tell much…not without tripping any wards. We don't know who sent Hessian Lobo after us. Who was that rather disreputable man who died, anyway?"

"…Like you're one to talk about being disreputable, you cambion troll," Harry muttered.

"Mundungus Fletcher, a spiv who owed Dumbledore for getting him out of trouble," Sirius said. "While I don't think he deserved to die, I'm not exactly going to miss him, either. Before I kicked the Order out of here and used the Fidelius, he tried pinching stuff from this house to fence. That being said…I actually have an idea about how to get you into Hogwarts, Harry. Merlin, you can disguise Harry permanently, right?"

"Of course," Merlin said. "Well, more or less. Why?"

"Dumbledore's searching for a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, otherwise, the Minister is going to force him to hire the Senior Undersecretary to Fudge. She's a ghastly bitch by the name of Umbridge, looks like her mother fucked a toad. Now, you could send one of your Caster Servants in as a teacher…but maybe you could have Harry as a teaching assistant. You know, in disguise."

"…An interesting idea, but one we will have to consider carefully before implementing," Merlin said.

"Why's that?"

"The castle could be the territory of a Caster Servant," Mary said softly. "They, and a few other Servants, have the skill of Territory Creation, allowing them to create a home base favourable to their powers."

"And from what we heard from Atalanta and other Servants who fought in the Trifas Grail War," Merlin said, "the Assassin of Red, Semiramis, had many traits of a Caster as well, including that skill. So too does that brat Elizabeth Bathory. Even Sherlock Holmes has the skill, albeit relating to his encyclopaedic knowledge, and he is a Ruler. In other words, Hogwarts could be enemy territory."

"…Do you think Dumbledore's the enemy?" Sirius asked.

"I don't know," Merlin said. "After seeing the tampering with the ward around the Dursley home, I honestly cannot tell whether it's by malice or by accident, and considering that I am…well, Merlin, that is saying a lot. But…treating Dumbledore with caution is desirable. And it needn't be Dumbledore who is our enemy at Hogwarts. I have heard rather lurid tales of one Severus Snape. A poor excuse for a teacher with a vendetta against Harry. Why? Because he hated James Potter."

"…It's a bit more than that," Sirius confessed. "Snivellus, from what I heard, had a thing for Lily. And considering that Lily ended up with James…"

"Ah, I see," Merlin said. "Well…if he is an agent of a Demon Pillar, I can imagine why. The Holy Grail, when used, is potentially capable of the Third True Magic, Heaven's Feel. Amongst other things, Heaven's Feel can resurrect the dead. However, those created by the Demon Pillars are double-edged swords. And that's assuming that he has been told about that particular tidbit, anyway."

"It'd make sense," Harry said. "Remember, the Demon Pillars seem to act through either people or Servants that they tempt to do their bidding." He then shuddered inwardly, thinking about the first time he had encountered one. Ironically, it was not one of the Demon Pillars' proxies, but a Servant who wanted to do his own thing. Ozymandias, when Harry first met him, transformed himself into Amun-Ra. He remembered the massive pillar of flesh covered in eyes, speaking with Ozymandias' voice, distorted into flanging, eldritch tones.

And then, there were the other times he encountered them. When they bearded Goetia and the Demon Pillars in their lair. Even now, he wasn't sure how the hell they got through that mess intact, though Dr Roman, aka Solomon, played a huge role.

Trying to take his mind off the thought of facing one of those monsters again, he asked Merlin, "What's in the book?"

"One of the Black family's many books on dark magic, particularly of this world," Merlin said. "I think I have pinpointed what exactly that phylactery is, at least in terms of this world's magic. It's called a Horcrux." His usually calm, even ethereal features were darkened by a scowl. "To split one's soul in order to achieve immortality is reckless enough. But the means used to do so…this ritual may not be the worst I know of, especially how some Magi act back home, but it's certainly a vile and nasty thing. And that merely prepares the soul. It is split by an act of cold-blooded murder. Now, as the Horcrux is half of the soul that was in the body at the time…well, there have been at least three others created before this one, and I'm sure there have been more."

"One of them was probably the Diary," Harry muttered in realisation.

"In all likelihood, yes," Merlin said. "This is why we're doing the ritual. At the very least, we can find out how many Voldemort made and trace them. We might be able to even annihilate them all at once. Nitocris and Tamamo will be looking for ways to formulate the ritual. They'll be Rayshifting in later this morning. Mash, Gudao, and the Emiyas will be in soon. We'll be using this house as our main base in this timeline. Concealed, based on one of the few leyline convergences free in London in this universe…"

"…Just make sure they keep it down, okay," Sirius said. "We've been lucky so far, but there's a portrait of my mother that…"

"Oh, I met her earlier," Merlin said. "I managed to shut her up with a spell I liked to prank the Knights of the Round Table with during their meetings. Aggravating Agravain in that manner was a particular favourite of mine." A smirk touched the effeminate cambion's lips.

"…I'm glad he hasn't been summoned in Chaldea," Harry said. "I'd have Mary use her Noble Phantasm on him a second time."

"He wasn't that different to his actual self," Merlin said. "Only more ruthless and sadistic…and jockeying for the King's favour. And he…"

"Wait…did you just say that you silenced my mother's portrait?" Sirius asked. When Merlin nodded, Sirius said, "Okay, I usually think people who worship you like a god are morons, but I am definitely worshipping you."

"Don't let Fou know," Harry stage-whispered to Mary, who giggled. "He'd probably bite Merlin to deflate his ego…"

* * *

An old man stood facing a mirror, with a face from the past reflected in it. "I wonder if you can hear me, my old friend. I doubt it. Just as I doubt you'd be enjoying Nurmengard. Still, I wonder how much it burns to know how thoroughly my revenge has run its course. The wonders I hold in my hand…they will transform the world into the one we both desire, even if you won't ever be able to enjoy it, and then, we will move to other worlds, to mould as I see fit. Everything else will burn. Even if the boy isn't dead… well, I will have him dealt with as he should have been years ago. And then, I will have my revenge on you. Only then, will you have my permission to die…"

**CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, ominous thoughts are ominous.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: A Three-Pipe Problem

**CHAPTER 7:**

**A THREE-PIPE PROBLEM**

Leonardo da Vinci was very much a genius, and she liked reminding people of that fact. Not quite arrogantly, not in the same way as Gilgamesh or Ozymandias liked to boast about their own not inconsiderable power. If she had to use an analogy, it was maybe closer to the character of the Doctor in those quaint _Doctor Who_ DVDs that had once been part of the late and, to a select few, lamented Olga Marie Animusphere's private collection. Where she knew things, she would apply her knowledge. Where she didn't know, she would attempt to remedy the situation. Hell, part of the reason she shaped her current body into a variation of _La Gioconda_, better known as the Mona Lisa, was because Leonardo was simply curious about what living in a female body was like, and she had to admit, she enjoyed it, for the most part. Bras and menses aside, anyway.

And as a genius who was aware that she didn't know absolutely everything, as frustrating as that was, she loved a good mystery. It was one of the reasons she joined the Fujimarus in their sojourn to the Camelot Singularity, though that nearly ended badly for her. She'd been curious about the strange circumstances of that particular Singularity, after all. And indeed, it had given her much food for thought. One of which was Harry Potter.

That she had managed to retrieve him from that Singularity was a miracle. He was a piece of transdimensional flotsam, who could have easily have been swallowed up when the Singularity was resolved. Even now, she was amazed that using the Rayshift to retrieve him worked. Rayshifting was actually very hard to do, as with any process that approached or emulated any kind of True Magic. Hell, only a select few Magi were actually capable of enduring the process without…complications ensuing. And yet, managing Harry's retrieval, while within the realms of possibility, was still extremely improbable. So too was their defeat of Geotia and his minions, Demon Pillars or not, but still…it was something Da Vinci wanted to solve.

Which was part of the reason why she was walking down the corridor to the room that was currently the residence of one of their newest recruits. For a while, he was known only as the Archer of Shinjuku, who pretended to be an ally before showing his true colours. It was Sherlock Holmes, undercover in that Pseudo-Singularity, who revealed the true identity of that Archer: James Moriarty.

Now, Da Vinci didn't truly trust the ageing dandy who was also one of fiction's most infamous criminal masterminds, but she also felt she knew what made him tick. After he was summoned, she decided to give him problems to look over, as a sounding board, ones she or someone trusted would double-check, just to be sure. They helped keep his mind off plotting anything truly malevolent, she thought. Usually, they were math problems, as Moriarty was a superlative mathematician. However, other problems were within his remit, and he sometimes, with varying degrees of reluctance on both sides, collaborated with his nemesis.

As she opened the door, she heard Moriarty say, "…Hard to catch Jack the Ripper, my dear Sherlock. After all, I doubt even one with your faculties would have expected a gestalt of wraiths centred on a single little girl. It would have taxed my own faculties to the point of…ah, Miss Da Vinci. Sorry about that. Sherlock and I were debating our respective faculties."

Da Vinci rolled her eyes. "_Men_," she remarked, wilfully ignoring the fact that she was technically a man inhabiting and controlling a female body. Then again, societal views on sexuality and gender were too restricting for her liking, even in a supposedly enlightened day and age. "Anyway, what progress have you made on our little problem?"

"You mean your hypothesis about Harry?" Sherlock Holmes asked, his lean features creased in thought. "…Unfortunately, while it seems like a reasonable explanation for what happened, we still are not in possession of the full facts, and as you well know, I despise making hypotheses in advance of the facts."

"Creating hypotheses to prove or disprove is part of the scientific method, Sherlock," James Moriarty, who looked to be in his fifties and with a lean, vaguely predatory look to his moustachioed features, remarked. "However, I do agree in that there are too many variables unaccounted for. And the Holy Grail is a vessel designed for channelling True Magic, meant to reach the Root. Even in a degraded form created by the Demon Pillars, they are…oh, what's the crude saying Tyler(1) used? Ah, yes, _Holy Grails are pretty OP_, I believe he would say. Harry was holding onto one of the most powerful magical artifacts ever to be created. Who knows how it reacted to his thoughts, on top of the spells put onto it?"

"In other words, needless speculation, and we do not have enough facts," Sherlock said. "I presume you came here for a reason other than to ask for a report on a problem that will probably see little progress until more facts are found?"

Da Vinci nodded. There was something. "I have a task that does take priority. Merlin contacted me. Apparently Voldemort has been using a particularly vile kind of phylactery called a Horcrux to render himself immortal, after a fashion. While Merlin and Medea intend to get Tamamo and Nitocris to help with a ritual to either locate any others, or else destroy them and thus render him mortal…I thought to cover our bases, so to speak."

"I see. A consultation on a case of a wizard terrorist," Sherlock said, steepling his fingers. "Criminal profiling. Definitely a three-pipe problem."

"From both sides of the legal boundary," Da Vinci said. "You are certainly a prodigy, Sherlock, in putting yourself into the mind of your opponents. Moriarty, however, has been your opponent, often by proxy, and is a criminal mastermind. Between you two, you may be able to find the locations and artifacts he may have used as phylacteries…even if you have to hypothesize rather than present the solution as a _fait accompli_. We need places to search for. Merlin has stated that any ritual would do well with another of these phylacteries."

Sherlock and Moriarty's eyes met. If there was one thing that the two men could be united over, it was a problem that could be seen as interesting. Sherlock turned to Da Vinci. "Ask Harry for any knowledge he has on Voldemort's life. I recall him speaking about what he knew, about his true name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. I need as many facts as possible. One cannot make bricks without clay."

"Indeed," Moriarty said. "That school, Hogwarts, would be a good place to start."

"My thoughts exactly, but where? One must hide a phylactery somewhere relatively safe so that the piece of soul remains safe. The wizarding bank, Gringotts…perhaps he or one of his followers has a Horcrux in a vault there too."

"Merlin told me that Harry suspects the Diary he destroyed to be a Horcrux," Da Vinci said. "It was given, if I recall, to the Weasley girl by Lucius Malfoy, one of his lieutenants. We should look at his most favoured underlings."

Sherlock and Moriarty both nodded at each other, and they began scribbling notes and typing on computer tablets. Da Vinci left, allowing those two to get on with it. She'd have to get speaking to Harry, find out what he knew about Voldemort. A better person to ask, at least theoretically, would be Dumbledore, who had apparently taught Tom Riddle at Hogwarts…but given the possibilities Merlin had raised, well…maybe it wasn't such a good idea.

Da Vinci groaned to herself as she strode back to her office. She got so little time to work in her Workshop these days. Somehow, she knew that there was some plane of existence Dr Roman existed on, even if his Noble Phantasm was supposed to basically erase him from existence, and he was laughing his head off at her, delighting in his revenge for all her sharp comments. Devilry, thy name was paperwork!

God, she missed him. With his carefree attitude, messy orange hair, and…well, even with his sometimes cowardly ways and eccentricities, he was a decent person. You couldn't do what he did and erase yourself from existence to save it without having some small spark of decency at the very least.

Da Vinci shook her head, trying to dislodge these maudlin thoughts. They had work to do. A Pseudo-Singularity needed resolving, and threats needed removing. No rest for the wicked, and even less for the virtuous…

* * *

Ron watched as his Servant chatted away to that cat-eared woman, Atalanta. He knew that they had fought against each other in some Holy Grail War in Romania, in another timeline, and had retained some memories of what happened. Part of their fight, from what Achilles had told him before Harry came back, was over the very girl sitting next to Ron, drawing in a little notepad.

Ron may have been clueless about many Muggle things, but even he had heard of the infamous Jack the Ripper. So it was a surprising thing to learn that the infamous murderer was just a little kid. While he did feel a little uneasy, Sirius was teamed up with an Avenger Servant, like the one who killed Hermione's parents.

The door to the living room opened, and a girl a couple of years older than him, with pale skin, lavender hair and violet eyes walked in, wearing a strange kind of armour that seemed to be figure-hugging. "Mash!" Jack the Ripper cheered, along with the Alice girl.

"Girls," Mash said, hugging them as they scampered up to her. "Sorry, I just arrived here. I was asked to come and fetch you. Ah! You must be Ron Weasley and Achilles, right?"

"Yep," Achilles said.

Ron stood, and walked over to Mash. "Yeah. And you are?"

"Oh! Sorry! I am Mash Kyrielight. I am…a Servant as well, a Demi-Servant."

"What, like the Homunculus kid I heard about?" Achilles asked. "The one who turned into Siegfried or something?"

"…That's right," Mash said. "I was engineered to be able to fuse with a Heroic Spirit. As such, my class atypical: I am a Shielder Servant."

"And which Servant were you fused with?" Ron asked.

"Sir Galahad, of the Knights of the Round Table," Mash said, before peering at him. "You're Harry's friend, aren't you?"

"Yeah. He spoke about us?"

"Yes, he often did. I guess he was my _senpai_ like Ritsuka and Gudao were…sorry, you're not familiar with Japanese, are you? _Senpai_ means a senior, like someone in a class above you. Actually, technically I was a bit older, but…well, in a lot of ways, Harry was my _senpai_. Anyway, he spoke to me about you, Ron. How you were his first friend."

But not his best friend? Ron wasn't sure he deserved such a title after that bollocks at the start of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, when he had been blinded by jealousy. Still, as long as they were still friends… "I'm glad to hear it, Mash. Though where's your shield?"

"I keep it Astralized until I have need of it," Mash said.

"So, are we having a briefing?" Achilles asked.

"A sort of working lunch, as I understand it," Mash said.

"Has Big Brother Harry cooked Hamburg Steak?" Jack the Ripper asked.

"You can't have Hamburg Steak every day, Jackie," Atalanta chided gently, making the silver-haired girl pout.

_Bloody hell_, Ron thought, not voicing that because there were little kids nearby, even if one was a serial killer and the other a living story book. As if his life wasn't insane enough already with these Servants around. Harry had come back and brought even more insanity with him.

Still, at least he was back. Though Ron had to wonder, for how long? He'd clearly found a new life at this Chaldea place, but would he come back? Well, for good, anyway?

Then again, Hermione seemed to be considering heading back to this Chaldea place. Maybe Ron should think about it too. He'd been overshadowed by his older brothers and his younger sister, and while he'd be overshadowed by the heroes in Chaldea, at least he could maybe do something more than bask in Harry's reflected glory…

* * *

"…And that was it," Gudao said, the dark-haired Japanese shrugging as he finished his report in the dining room, now somewhat crowded. Most of the Servants had Astralized, with the exception of Merlin and Mary. Medea, Nitocris and Tamamo were in another room, working on the ritual. "The wizards aren't very open to outsiders, even if we could use magic. While there's a lot of snobbery amongst the Magi back home, not to mention it being insular, it's not quite as xenophobic as it is here. Ritsuka's reported the same thing in Hogsmeade. There's a definite tension in the air, especially as there are reports of incidents that seem to be the work of Servants. Not just the Hessian Lobo, either."

Tonks, who had returned, nodded. "Yeah, my boss is annoyed because so many incidents means the Aurors are spread thin. I've told her, on the QT, about Servants and Chaldea. As for Dumbledore…I told him about Dung, and about Chaldea, but not Harry. I had Occlumency shields up, but I don't know whether he knows. If he does, he didn't say anything. He's curious about Chaldea and their link to Servants, and told me that he would appreciate it if you stopped any Servants. Oh, and he does want a DADA teacher. Otherwise, Fudge is going to force that hag Umbridge onto him. I've met her in the Ministry too many times."

"We'll decide who to send soon," Merlin said. "But we'll have to consider carefully. By the way, Harry, we'll probably have Sherlock and Moriarty here to ask you everything you can remember about Voldemort. We intend to see if there's any Horcruxes we can track down physically ourselves."

Hermione frowned. "…Wait? Sherlock? Sherlock Holmes? THE Sherlock Holmes?"

"…Yes, Hermione."

There was a high pitched squeal, followed by hyperventilation and a sudden thud. Mary turned to Harry. "Harry…why did Hermione squee and pass out?"

"Two words, Mary: Sherlock Holmes…"

* * *

The old man sat in his office, speaking to his visitor. "…So, Chaldea is here. As you suspected."

The visitor nodded. "We had placed the second Holy Grail into the Tri-Wizard Trophy so that the champion could be used as a pawn for our plan. That the younger Crouch used it as a Portkey to deliver Potter to Voldemort, we didn't foresee. Our means of prescience is limited in this world."

"Hmm. I'd meant to lure that upstart out of hiding, but I guess even I can be blindsided," the old man mused. "Do you find your current vessel of use?"

The visitor smiled. "Yes. What a neat and boring mind this human has. It took some time to take him over, but that was more to avoid anyone from noticing anything amiss than anything else, and his dispute with his family gave me the excuse to take over in earnest. Fudge is convinced you intend to overthrow him. Umbridge and the Death Eaters aren't doing much to discourage him. Still…our future changed. That our actions brought your wayward pawn into Chaldea…you do know he's here, in all likelihood?"

"If Chaldea is here, then so is the Boy Who Lived. I scarcely believed that he helped contribute to your master's demise. It's rather fascinating, as it shows that time is not wholly immutable. Perhaps the Holy Grail helped contribute to that."

"Of course it did. It was how we acted on their world," the visitor snapped irritably. "We changed history in order to erase it. Still, we will crush this world beneath our heels, not just to dominate the humans here, but also to use this world as a bridgehead to strike back at Chaldea. And you will be at the vanguard…once you have become a Grand Servant…"

**CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, some thoughts, some musings, some mysteries…and some of the plan of the enemy has been revealed.**

**Now, some of you, in your reviews, have speculated about what is happening. All I ask is you to be patient and wait…**

**1\. GhostXavier kindly granted me permission to use their OCs from ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****. Tyler Fields is from the Engineering Division of Chaldea, and is an avid gamer. Ironically, he is the one who is Serenity's love interest in that story. Still, plenty of fish in the sea…**


	9. Chapter 8: Preparations

**CHAPTER 8:**

**PREPARATIONS**

"…Just how many of these 'Saberfaces' are there?" Hermione asked, dreading the answer.

The subject of her enquiry was Medea, who was currently writing down a curriculum, helped by Lupin, who, having been a DADA teacher, could point her to the necessary texts. She'd sniffed at them, considering them child's play, but went through them all the same. However, she smiled in a strangely nostalgic way. Hermione had met Sherlock Holmes, and had to restrain herself, with considerable difficulty, from bombarding him with questions. However, she did get an autograph from him and Moriarty, and a promise to discuss various subjects at a later date.

Medea smiled. "Quite a lot, hence why Chaldea coined the term, much to poor Arturia's chagrin. While Arturia and Mordred being similar in appearance shouldn't surprise you, given their relationship, Jeanne d'Arc looks not dissimilar. According to Arturia, a version of Gilles de Rais, a rather deranged version, mistook her for Jeanne. However, there is a stronger resemblance to Nero."

"…Nero," Hermione said flatly. "As in the Roman Emperor…wait, she was a girl too?"

"In our universe, at least," Medea said. "They're an interesting study in contrasts. Arturia is rather stoic and reserved, though she is friendlier lately. Nero…is boastful and boisterous, though she has a surprisingly good heart, despite her reputation. And then there is Okita Souji."

"I don't think I know her…or him."

"Okita was the first captain of the Japanese special police force of the 19th Century, the Shinsengumi. And yes, history painted her as a male too. She now runs our internal security forces…mostly trying to prevent the Servants from fighting each other and cleaning up after pranks." Medea chuckled. "Harry, Oda Nobunaga, and Blackbeard get along very well, at least where pranks are concerned. Blackbeard, however…well, imagine a scruffy pirate as a major otaku, and you have him. Pranks are the only common ground he and Harry have…oh, and cooking. Actually, EMIYA, the Archer one, they've exchanged notes on cooking." Medea's lips were touched by a smile as she looked at Hermione. "You ask a lot of questions."

"…I've been known to," Hermione admitted.

Chiron, who was standing nearby, chortled. "I have had to remind her to breathe more than once, Medea. Hermione has an inquiring mind. But she also has a bit of a problem with authority worship, though given what happened after her parents' deaths…"

Hermione nodded, scowling. "…The DMLE was forced to cancel the investigation by the Minister. Their reason? _They were __**only**__ Muggles_. Never mind that some hellbeast murdered them, and magic was involved. To Fudge and those lining his pockets, it's no different to a wild animal being killed. Unfortunate, but somebody else's problem."

"Sadly, Magi are much the same," Medea said. "They're cold-hearted bastards. The first Grail War I participated in…my original Master was not only a fool, but an arrogant and vicious one. I have to admit to some hypocrisy, given that I did eventually harvest the mana from people's souls, but that was in desperation. My first Master…he would murder people he kidnapped to harvest a pitiful amount of mana. I could harness the mana from the very air itself to create an even greater amount. He didn't take kindly to that slight to his pride, using a Command Spell to order me to never use my Noble Phantasm, Rule Breaker, on him. And then, he slapped me, hard." She smirked viciously. "Let's just say revenge was sweet. Still…I am not proud of what I did afterwards, even if I did it all for the love of the man who saved me, heart and soul. I view Chaldea as a chance to redeem myself. To become something more than the Witch of Betrayal."

"Which is rather the point of Chaldea, from what I have heard," Chiron observed. "Not just to save humanity, but to give second chances. Even some of the most vicious Servants, those who do not wish for redemption, will still nonetheless try to save humanity, if only because they want to avoid destruction. Still…is that going to be the case here? Destruction?"

"It depends," Medea said. "The four Demon Pillars we encountered had differing goals, and then there's that Caster who was assisting the Avenger version of Shirou Amakusa Tokisada in the Shimosa Pseudo-Singularity. For all we know, their plan could be conquest or just self-preservation. Still, the emergence of Servants suggests that their plans have been put into play…"

* * *

"Heavens me," Tamamo muttered, the fox-eared Caster pouting as she examined the locket in the protective Bounded Field. "What a nasty piece of work. Not only is it a rather nasty variation of a phylactery but it's cursed, especially affecting those in close proximity to it."

"The curse seems very familiar," Nitocris remarked, the blue-haired Egyptian woman peering at the locket, the rabbit ear-like headdress twitching like Tamamo's own fox ears. "Despite the differing magic schools involved, it's very much like a curse from my time, one that amplifies negative emotions. Of course, removing the curse and the soul fragment is easy. Creating a ritual like you desire, Magus of Flowers…well, it would be an insult to you to say that it is obvious it will take time."

"I know. But can it be done?" Merlin asked.

"Of course," Tamamo said. "Phylacteries act as an anchor to the main part of the soul, so that if the body died, the soul would remain on the mortal plain. That means there is a link, an anchor chain if you will. Tracing the location of the other fragments is tricky, but far from impossible. However, finding other Horcruxes would help, as it means not only less effort to find them, but we can pinpoint the magical signature with greater efficiency. I think our respective Noble Phantasms might be able to help. My Eightfold Blessings of Amaterasu can act as a means of purification, while Nitocris' Anpu Neb Ta Djeser is a mirror that is linked to the underworld."

Nitocris nodded. "Creating phylacteries like this was almost a past-time in my own time. I'm sure between us three, and Medea before she goes and starts teaching, we will be able to work something out. Better us than, say, Edison. He and Tesla would find some excuse to turn this into a dispute."

"And please don't bring in Nero or the newt girl," Tamamo said. "I need the peace and quiet to deal with this."

Merlin chuckled. "As it happens, I asked Da Vinci to lock them into the auditorium to have a sing-off. They believe it is being broadcast to the rest of Chaldea. Thankfully, for everyone's sanity, it isn't. However, they do have a captive audience."

"…Blackbeard?" Nitocris and Tamamo asked.

"Blackbeard," Merlin confirmed with a nod. "He was warned about what would happen the next time we caught him perving indiscreetly on the ladies. He's protesting this as cruel and unusual punishment, but…well, as far as Chaldea is concerned, a singing contest between a pair of tone-deaf Servants with inflated opinions of their talent doesn't count as unusual."

Nitrocris smiled, and Tamamo was chortling quietly to herself. Between Blackbeard's perversion and the catastrophic caterwauling of Nero and Elizabeth Bathory, it was good that they were out of it. "By the way," Tamamo said, "have you finished with that charm Harry has to use to disguise himself?"

"Finished it an hour ago," Merlin said. "Actually, Medea did most of the work. Her Item Construction ability is far better than mine. Aside from altering his appearance, it also acts as a passive shield against mental infiltration. Not so great against Servants with such an ability, but against the Legilimency of this world, it should prove quite potent…"

* * *

Harry rubbed his head as Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty finished their questioning, Mary looking bored as she stood next to him. It had been intense, asking for any detail he might have noticed about Voldemort, his whereabouts and the like. Sirius and Remus, who had also fought Voldemort, were also interrogated. "Still, what a gauche little man," Moriarty remarked as he noted things down on a computer tablet. "Not only did he use an anagram for his _nom de guerre_, but it sounds like 'flight of death' in French. Given his insistence on staying at Hogwarts in that memory Harry witnessed, our suspicions that he may have hidden a Horcrux there is solidified, at least in my mind."

"Yes, but where?" Sherlock said, steepling his fingers in his habitual gesture of thinking. "The Chamber of Secrets is but one possible hiding place. Sirius, you said that your cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange, has a vault at Gringotts. Would the Goblins be willing to check the vault for any Horcruxes?"

"Maybe, if we pay them through the nose," Sirius said. "They hate humans, but they also hate dark artifacts being left in their vaults, well, if they're dark enough. A Horcrux would apply."

Moriarty had found something. "Sherlock." He handed his nemesis the computer tablet.

"What are you looking at?" Harry asked.

"Online records," Moriarty said. "Da Vinci had this set up earlier so we can search for any records that have been scanned from paper media in this world. Thankfully, your erstwhile nemesis' particulars have been scanned. He's technically Tom Marvolo Riddle Junior."

Sherlock nodded thoughtfully as he read the records. "Mother, Merope Gaunt…father, Tom Riddle. Residence…formerly of Little Hangleton. Hmm…perhaps that was where that graveyard you fought him in was. I know the place, a small hamlet close to the Scottish border."

"I've heard of the Gaunts, too," Sirius said grimly. "The family died out some years ago. Good riddance, too. I joke about how my family tree is more like a tumbleweed, but the Gaunts, apparently, were ridiculously inbred, and they were obsessed with their lineage. They claimed descent from both Salazar Slytherin and one of the Peverells. I heard one of them ended up in Azkaban, but that's about it."

"Well, a place to start, at least," Sherlock said. "I should ask Da Vinci to field a team at Little Hangleton, preferably with Servants who can be discreet and good with reconnaissance and information gathering. Or perhaps Ritsuka should be recalled from Hogsmeade for now, as she was commanding Cursed Arm and Hundred-Face along with the Pendragons. I know you would go, Mary, but I would imagine you are better as a bodyguard to Harry."

The slender Assassin nodded. "Jackie will also join us. Her Noble Phantasm will be particularly useful if we encounter any female Servants who are hostile."

"Good. While we have no guarantee that Hogwarts is enemy territory, in light of what Merlin discovered around the Dursley home, we cannot be sure."

"…I still find it a bit hard to believe," Harry said. "I mean, I'm angry at Dumbledore for leaving me with the Dursleys, but if it was to protect me with these wards…well, was the effects on purpose or by accident?"

"That is indeed the question…"

* * *

Warm. For the first time in a long time, the old man was warm. And comfortable. Having become accustomed to the cold and discomfort of his prison, the warmth and comfort jolted his awareness into full wakefulness, despite his age. "Hey, whoa!" came a young voice, even as the old man tried to get his eyes used to even the warm light of what turned out to be some sort of fair generic room. "Take it easy, old-timer. You're in a pretty bad way. I guess it comes from being banged up in such a shithole like that for so long."

The old man focused on the owner of the voice, who seemed to be a young man, of indeterminate age, perhaps from his teens to his twenties, with a messy shock of black hair that reminded him of James Potter, though it had a white streak in it. But his handsome, dashing features seemed warm, even filled with energy and enthusiasm. This was no enemy. And he had a bowl of soup in his hands. "Who are you?" he croaked at his saviour.

"Food first, old-timer, and then, we can exchange names. Then again, I'm pretty sure I know your name," the young man said.

The old man began eating the soup, refusing the offer of the young man to feed him. After finishing the soup, so rich and filling after what he had eaten for the past couple of decades (though they felt like millennia), he looked at the young man. "…You're a Servant. Like the one my gaoler recently summoned."

"Yep. My class is Saber. Anyway, I caught wind of where you were, old-timer. Geez, that castle was a dump. Anyway, like any awesome knight-errant, I swooped in to the rescue. Busted you out of there, and brought you here. Wish I had Astolfo by my side. That ditz's Hippogriff would have come in handy for an awesome escape. My Noble Phantasm, Charles Patricius. It'd look a mite conspicuous, but it's got means against Muggles seeing it. Of course, the enemy will see it coming, but hopefully, we will be able to deal with that. Actually, I was told to come find you by one of your former students and some scary lady. He's the sort to play both sides, but he might turn over a new leaf. Maybe. I dunno. But hey, you're out of that castle, and probably just as well. The sins of our pasts are catching up to both of us."

"They caught up with me a long time ago," the old man muttered morosely. "But…who are you?"

"Hmm, should I tell you? True names of Servants are not to be given out lightly. But…what the hell, why not? I am Charlemagne! And I guess I am your Servant now…"

**CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, some ponderings…but what's this? The ****_Fate/Extella Link_**** Saber Charlemagne is here? Well, I've been playing that particular game a lot lately. True, he hasn't ended up in ****_Fate/Grand Order_**** (at least yet), but still…why not? But who has he just rescued? And, almost as importantly, who has sent him? **

**Still, this will probably be the last chapter for a little while. I got these first chapters done around the time that I fell ill, and being sick is not conducive to writing. I'm on the mend, but I still feel like something the cat dragged in and pissed all over.**

**Review-answering time! ****Sonicdude8****: He has a plan. I haven't revealed that plan, but basically, he intends to use the Grail to hack the Throne of Heroes and place himself there as a Grand Heroic Spirit.**

**Guest**** (regarding Hermione's reaction to Sherlock Holmes): That was actually the straw that broke the camel's back. Hermione did want to basically pick the brains of the likes of Da Vinci and Medea, amongst so many other things, but learning that one of her favourite fictional characters is real, or at least real enough to be a Heroic Spirit?**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	10. Chapter 9: Return to Hogwarts

**CHAPTER 9:**

**RETURN TO HOGWARTS**

Da Vinci shuffled through the notes she had compiled on Harry Potter, deliberately kept on paper media to prevent people from hacking into Chaldea's databases. More than a few had tried once history had been restored and something of the full story had come out to Clock Tower and the UN. Given what happened, it was to be expected.

Most of her vital notes were not only on paper media, but also encrypted using her habitual mirror writing. In addition, she wrote her most secret notes, thanks to the patient tuition of Enkidu, in a Sumerian cipher, and she'd doubt that most people would be able to tell what it was. Even Gilgamesh had a hard time reading the cipher, and while he was arrogant, he was most certainly not stupid.

These particular notes were on Harry. She began adding to them, using the knowledge Merlin had gained during their sojourn to Surrey. Only a few at Chaldea knew the truth about Harry Potter. She had learned it when she had him undergo a medical scan, and Merlin, Medea and a few other Casters knew. Harry had bindings on his magic. Who placed them there and why, she didn't know, and to remove them, even for the collection of some of the best Magi in history, might prove lethal. Oh, they managed to remove some of them, and Harry's power had increased, but still…

It was those very bindings that prevented Da Vinci from making a more in-depth examination of a hypothesis she had, about how Harry survived the transit into the Camelot Singularity and how readily he was Rayshifted back out. The problem was, tampering with them might end up killing him. And he was too valuable to Chaldea to warrant doing things recklessly.

As if on cue, the comms system chirruped, with a communications from the Pseudo-Singularity being relayed from the control room to her office. Accepting it, the holographic image of Merlin and Sherlock Holmes appeared. "Gentlemen," Da Vinci said. "I presume this is more than just a routine report, as they've relayed this directly to my office."

They nodded. "_We've made headway with the Goblins at Gringotts_," Sherlock said. "_With some not inconsiderable…palm-greasing, they have launched an audit of the Lestrange vaults, and have found a Horcrux. They have identified the Horcrux as the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff, an artifact belonging to one of the Founders of Hogwarts. Because of this, we brought the locket to be identified. Apparently, it was the Locket of Salazar Slytherin. That means that Voldemort is using items linked to the Founders as Horcruxes. However, the Goblins claim that the Sword of Godric Gryffindor would never be a Horcrux, due to the Goblin Steel it was forged from. They seemed to take more than a little offence at the implication. The next possible Horcrux could be the Diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw, but it has been lost for centuries._"

"_Still, the second Horcrux is being delivered to us soon_," Merlin said. "_The Goblins do have a ritual that can remove a Horcrux, but they are actually curious about our own ritual. On an impulse, Harry asked for another House Elf's help. Dobby is a rather charming, cheerful little fellow, and he said something about a hidden room at Hogwarts, the Come-and-Go Room, or the Room of Requirement. That, along with Little Hangleton, should be our next port of call to search for a Horcrux, and just as well, as Harry and Medea, along with her younger self, Jackie, Mary, and Alice, depart for the castle today. It may very well be enemy territory, but we need to find out what is going on, and whether Dumbledore is actually our enemy. That being said, there's something also of concern._"

Sherlock nodded. "The Daily Prophet _claims that Gellert Grindlewald was recently broken out of Nurmengard, his former fortress turned into his own prison. Allegedly, by a single person. It's possible that this may be a Servant. However, the descriptions not only don't match any known Servant. Given that they were seen to wield a sword, they are probably a Saber if they are a Servant._"

Da Vinci frowned. "…That is concerning. Well, keep monitoring the situation."

"…_There is one last thing_," Merlin said. "_I have created a charm that will help disguise Harry as well as shield his mind from attack. I have given similar charms, with mind-shielding, to his younger friends. But…in Harry's, I put in a special monitoring spell of my own devising. And while I can't be certain given the results in so far…Da Vinci, your hypothesis about his nature may be correct. The evidence is pointing that way._"

Da Vinci nodded. "Right. But I want to be absolutely certain before we tell him. Telling Harry now, as I have stated before, may cause an existential crisis, or else cause him to get careless and cocky, and we simply don't know for certain. And once we do know, we pick the time to tell him. We don't need him faltering at the wrong time. However, we do not keep this a secret from him any longer than necessary. He detests having secrets kept from him as you well know, thanks to that fool Dumbledore, and he won't take kindly to us keeping this from him, even if it was necessary…"

* * *

"…So you're telling me that the _Tale of the Three Brothers_ is true, more or less?" Remus Lupin asked Merlin not long afterwards.

"Yes. The Peverells, from what I gathered, were tinkering with a crude and nasty emulation of the Second True Magic, Kaleidoscope," Merlin said, as he, Tamamo and Nitocris worked on notes for the ritual. Lupin was helping because of his knowledge of the Dark Arts, and he could add a few novel angles these Servants didn't know. "This was about the time of the Crusades, when the Assassin Order first began. However, already, Hassan-i Sabbah, not the man most people to be consider the founder of the Assassins but another, more powerful man entirely, one devoted to justice and righteousness than what was effectively terrorism…he was already a powerful man. But the Peverells were powerful wizards themselves. They vanquished Hassan-i Sabbah in combat, though admittedly it was partly self-defence. However, two of the Peverells taunted the man, stealing Mystic Codes and leaving him to die of his wounds, leading him to curse them both. But the third, Ignotus…he felt remorse, and stayed to tend to his wounds, even saving him from an attempted coup within his own organisation. Eventually, the two, perversely, became friends, and eventually, Ignotus was allowed to leave of his own accord, with the Invisibility Cloak."

"And what of Hassan-i Sabbah now?" Remus asked.

Tamamo shivered. "He's one scary guy. We call him King Hassan to distinguish him from the other Hassan Assassins."

"He attempted to decapitate Lord Ozymandias," Nitocris muttered, torn between anger and fear. "That my king survived was due purely to the grace of the gods…and the Grail he happened to have with him at the time. It did make for some admittedly awkward moments when his head nearly fell off a few times."

"To put it into perspective, he is a Grand Assassin, the Assassin Servant above all others. Admittedly, his power is less as a Servant in Chaldea than he was in Camelot or Babylon, but still…" Merlin shrugged. "And he's not a deity. Tamamo, though, she's a fragment of Amaterasu. You've met Medusa, who is a fallen deity, and many Servants are demigods or, in my case, part-demon."

"How does Chaldea keep you guys under control? I mean, some of you wouldn't mind saving the world or having another chance at life, but…you have Moriarty, for example."

"…It's down to our Masters. Most Magi would view us as little more than familiars, being idiots," Merlin said.

Nitocris nodded. "I was summoned to Chaldea shortly after the Camelot fiasco. And Gudao was there. The first thing he did was ask me if I preferred to wear something a little less…revealing. Do not misunderstand me, I could see the sparks of desire in his eyes, but I could see something far greater: concern. In truth, they showed far more concern to me than I deserved, given how I treated them in that little saga in that Singularity."

"Exactly. The Masters' greatest strength is not in their mana output or their ability in magic…but in their hearts," Merlin said. "Many apparently 'evil' Servants tag along simply out of curiosity. Others decide to save the world for a change, for amusement, because it presents an interesting challenge. Besides, the morality of the figures who make it onto the Throne can be often be debatable. Tamamo here is thought of in Japanese legend as an evil _kitsune_, and yet, while a bit selfish and pushy, she's a decent person when you get to know her. And given that you are a werewolf and one who fights against their inner nature, I'm sure you know how morality is not so much about duality as it is about a spectrum. Sometimes, one only has to look at some of the Servants. Karna and Arjuna, for example, figures from the Indian epic known as the _Mahabharata_, and while they were on opposite sides of a conflict there, they weren't exactly clear-cut heroes or villains. Thus, a good Master is one who helps smooth things over, has Servants _want_ to help."

Remus nodded in understanding. "I get the picture. Harry…even without his fame, he had his father's knack for drawing people together. Still…once this is done, will he just head back to Chaldea?"

"In all likelihood, yes. Sad though it may be, Remus Lupin, but Chaldea has felt more like home to him than Hogwarts or those appalling guardians of his ever did. In a way, you could call Chaldea a home for heroes. And he deserves a place there just as much as any Heroic Spirit…"

* * *

Mary stayed with her lover, albeit Astralized, as he, Medea, and an Astralized Jackie walked towards Hogwarts. She had to admit, the castle looked magnificent. True, she had stayed and lived for much of her life in the Alamut Castle, the headquarters for the Assassin Order, but that was a functional fortress. Hogwarts, while still foreboding, had more of a feel of a fairy tale. Not that she read such things growing up, but she knew what they were due to her new life in Chaldea.

And yet, despite the warm and welcoming air, Mary was ill at ease. So were the others. They were potentially walking right into an enemy stronghold. True, they had done so on many occasions, but still…she felt uneasy. They were doing so to gain more information, but if a Caster had really made this place their demesne…

Still, they weren't the only teams. Ritsuka and her Servant team was still in Hogsmeade, monitoring events from there, their purpose changed from information gathering to acting as an extraction team if things got hairy. Gudao and his team were heading to Little Hangleton, to investigate any possible sites for Horcruxes. Gabrielle Rutherford, the third Master of Chaldea, was on standby to Rayshift if she was needed(1). If things went south, they would be rescued…or, if necessary, stopped. The Great Founder would ensure that for Mary, at least. The possibility of them being suborned was something Chaldea had a number of contingencies for. The same for Servants going traitor.

Thankfully, it hadn't come to that yet. Most of the antagonistic Servants from prior Singularities had either changed their ways on coming to Chaldea, or (in the case of Arturia's Lancer self or the younger form of Medea, as an example) were simply different people entirely to those they had encountered. True, there were disputes that occasionally threatened to get out of hand (like Tamamo and Kiyohime competing for Gudao's affections, despite him being besotted with Mash, or the rivalry between Edison and Tesla, a carryover from their rivalry in life), but never anything truly disastrous. It was more personal drama than anything catastrophic. To Mary, who preferred the quiet life between sorties to the Singularities, that was enough.

For this mission, Medea would be known as Regina Thessaly (her younger self would be Lily Thessaly), and Harry would be Tyler Fields, after the engineer and avid gamer back in Chaldea. Between them, they would teach Defence Against the Dark Arts. Of course, they had been warned to expect Ministry interference, in the form of the Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge.

"_Hem, hem._"

…Speak of the devil. A particularly hideous, toad-faced devil in eye-searing fuschia, waiting in the atrium of the castle as they entered. While Mary was a quite literally poisonous person, this woman, she knew, was a more figuratively poisonous person. She wanted to inflict Zabaniya on this hag as soon as possible, preferably right this very second.

"You must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Thessaly," the woman said with an unctuous and saccharine smile that fooled nobody present. "I am Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic and newly-appointed High Inquisitor of Hogwarts."

"Charmed, I am sure," Medea said, her smile just a touch too fixed and tight.

"I am here to ensure that teaching is up to the correct standards," Umbridge continued.

"Well, I assure you, Dolores Umbridge, that my standards are very high. I hope you can recognise that. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have preparation to continue. I was hired on short notice, and I am still working on the nitty-gritty of the curriculum."

"I may be able to…"

Medea glared at her, and the batrachian woman recoiled from the gaze. "No. You may not." And with that, they entered the Great Hall, where already some of the staff were gathered…including Dumbledore. The man who was the author of Harry's torment almost as much as Voldemort was. Whether by foolishness or design, she didn't know, but…

"_Oh dear_," Medea sent over their mental link, effectively making it a conference call. "_I think I may just have found another piece of the mystery around Dumbledore. I placed all sorts of sensory charms on me before I entered, just in case. And while your school of magic is different to magecraft, it's not wholly dissimilar to what was used in the Age of the Gods, Harry. Harry, the man you see has used some sort of self-transfiguration, a rather masterful spell, if I do say so._"

"_What do you mean?_" Harry's voice said over the link.

"…_I can't tell for sure, but it's possible that Dumbledore may be an impostor_…"

**CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. The revelation you've been waiting for, even if a lot of you in the reviews have guessed what I intended, in broad terms. I don't know when the next chapter will be out either. Hope you enjoyed it so far, though…**

**1\. Gabrielle Rutherford is the OC Master, or at least the version of the Female Protagonist, from GhostXavier's ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****. Once more, I have to thank GhostXavier for giving me permission to use their OCs in this story.**


	11. Chapter 10: Echoes of the Past

**CHAPTER 10:**

**ECHOES OF THE PAST**

"It's most definitely him," the old man muttered to himself. "That charm may fool the lesser, but it hasn't fooled me. Harry's back in Hogwarts. He's that woman's teaching assistant."

"So, what will you do about it?" asked the man standing nearby, his Servant. A tall, powerfully-built old man with hair somewhere between gold and white, a neat beard in the shape of a cross on his chin. "My ability to Oraclize is limited away from a world where Sephyr did not attack the world. The person would either have to have strong personal loyalty to you, a fairly weak will, or else have their goals aligned with our own, uniting humanity for the Greater Good."

"Exactly. I would prefer to be prudent and use manipulation, using Oraclization as a last resort, at least until we boost your powers and perfect the final ability of your Noble Phantasm, Ruler. In truth, I am more immediately concerned about our escapee from Nurmengard."

"I am aware of that, just as I am aware that the one who helped him escape was my shadow. But Chaldea's meddling is of more immediate concern than your old friend. You may be able to predict what your old friend may do, but Chaldea is perhaps more unpredictable, and considerably more quixotic. What's more, unlike that snake-faced fool, they have the flames of righteousness on their side, just as we have. Be thankful yours has never gone out entirely, or I would have killed you where you stood when you summoned me. As it is, working with those Demon Pillars leaves a bad taste in my mouth."

"Entirely temporary, I assure you. Goetia's demise and Chaldea's actions have shown that, for all their power and malice, they are mortal. In truth, I admire Chaldea and their actions. Fighting against the odds against foes who could overwhelm them. But they are merely a small subsection of humanity, the Magi of their world would turn on them on a thrice. No, the world needs a strong, firm hand to guide them, for the Greater Good."

"Perhaps, but I admonish you to temper the darkness that still remains abundant in your heart," Ruler said. "You may be an idealist, but you do much of what you do out of spite more than righteousness and conviction. Turning the boy into a weapon…I would have done it if necessary, true, but I would regret the necessity. Whereas you…your mental shielding may be strong, but I still sense the darkness within. I only consented to being summoned by you because I desired the same thing you do: peace and unity. But I do so out of love for humanity, whereas you are a misanthrope. Model yourself on me, Karl Magnus Rex, or I will consider severing our pact."

With that, the Ruler Servant faded. Only decades of Occlumency training and self-control prevented the old man's face from twisting into a sneer of contempt. A Ruler he may have been, but a Servant was still a Servant, and he was the Master, not this shade of Karl Magnus Rex, the historical Charlemagne. He chose Karl Magnus Rex because he was a powerful Servant with powerful Noble Phantasms, and could potentially bring others under his control without having to worry about the likes of potions or the Imperius.

Instead, he got a man who bleated on about righteousness and morality. True, Karl was ruthless, pragmatic and powerful. But he had a love for humanity, a desire to see it united as one. The old man had no such desire. The old man wanted humanity to be united _under_ one. Him, and him alone. And if Ruler chose to be difficult…well, while Rulers were normally meant to be arbitrators of Holy Grail Wars, from what he knew, the Command Seals he had could potentially force Karl to do his will.

But he had to use them prudently. A man like Karl Magnus Rex had enough willpower to resist Command Seals. At least two would be needed to force the man to commit suicide, and even all three couldn't guarantee that he wouldn't take his Master down with him. Better to use rhetoric and manipulation until the time finally came.

Until his apotheosis was upon him…

* * *

Da Vinci frowned as she received the report from Medea, who was using a personal communicator to relay what she had learned. "So Dumbledore…may not actually be Dumbledore?"

Medea nodded. "_I can't tell for certain without more invasive procedures that will alert him. I can only do relatively weak scans. However, the fact that he has used substantial transfiguration to his entire body is telling. Of course, it could be that he's hiding…say, immortality through making himself look older than his body really is, but my gut tells me that this isn't Dumbledore._"

"Could he be possessed by a Demon Pillar?"

"_I don't know. There's no test for that, and we can't tell until they show their true form_," Medea said. "_Only Fou seemed to have any real knack for detecting Demon Pillars, given how often he avoided Lev Lainer Flauros prior to Lev bombing Chaldea. And as he donated his mana supply to save Mash after she was killed by Goetia…well, his intelligence remains, but I think he is more of a mundane animal now(__1)__._"

"Fou's pining for Mash, Harry and Gudao," Da Vinci said. "This is the first major expedition that they've been on that he hasn't come along. Or maybe he misses taking a piece out of Merlin for mutual therapeutical purposed. Poor thing."

Medea chortled. "_As skilled a Magus as he is, I do agree that Merlin gets aggravating, and he does deserve the punishments Fou inflicts on him. Still…I've been monitoring that charm of his, the readout of Harry's vital data. The data we've gathered…Da Vinci, what do we tell him when we know for sure? He could either react with joy, or else fall into an existential angst. And as we're in the middle of a mission_…"

"I know, Medea. Believe me, I do. He's been kept in the dark for much of his life. But I want to be absolutely certain before we tell him, because if we are wrong, we could be inflicting an existential crisis on him for nothing, or make him even more needlessly reckless than he is already. And if we do find the truth…it goes without saying that we need to keep this under wraps, that only the most trusted people in Clock Tower and the authorities with any power over Chaldea can learn about this. Hell, I don't think we can tell any but the most discreet Servants. Because if someone unscrupulous learned about how the Holy Grail could change Harry into…"

Medea nodded, interrupting Da Vinci. "_They'd slap so many Sealing Designations on him, it's not funny, and they'd probably do anything to try and replicate the process. I doubt even Zelretch would be able to save him. We already have idiots at Clock Tower champing at the bit to get their mitts on the Pseudo-Servants we have, like Zhuge Liang inhabiting Waver Velvet, or Ishtar possessing Rin Tohsaka. But for someone like Harry, those ungrateful bastards would vivisect him_…"

"Exactly. I've received word from Gudao and his team. They've arrived at Little Hangleton, and have begun making discreet inquiries. So far, we believe the two most likely locations for any Horcrux will be either at the Riddle Manor, or else at the hovel that once belonged to the Gaunts. I personally find the latter more likely, as the Gaunt's residence has been actively shunned a lot more than the Riddle Manor. The Riddle Manor, according to the locals, had been maintained by Frank Bryce, who disappeared shortly before Harry's fourth year. In fact, Harry had a dream of his murder."

"_Yes, through a mental link they had. What do you think that was?_"

"Merlin believes that Voldemort inadvertently made Harry into a Horcrux, but it was purged when he ended up in the Camelot Singularity. I agree. Anyway, while many people avoid the Riddle Manor these days, just about everyone steers clear of the Gaunt Shack, and preliminary analysis shows that it has many wards, what the wizards call their Bounded Fields, around it. They'll be investigating before long, but I've warned them to be careful. If Voldemort has truly hidden a Horcrux there, he's sure to have left some nasty surprises for any intruders or thieves. Harry will go and look for the Room of Requirement tomorrow. That being said, Voldemort may just be a sideshow, depending on whether a Demon Pillar is influencing him or not. Remember, we just received word that Grindlewald has escaped from his prison at Nurmengard, and a Servant may have been involved."

"_Speaking of Servants, who do you think is the Master of the Hessian Lobo? Assuming that damned Avenger wasn't just a stray wandering around. Hermione's comments suggest that the Hessian Lobo was directed to attack her parents_," Medea said.

"Yes, but we have a plethora of suspects, some of whom could be at that school," Da Vinci said. "Their magic is more genetically-based in terms of inheritance, with mutations activating latent magic genes in families that hadn't had it for generations, unlike our world, where it's a combination of genetics and more abstract matters. Hermione, being what they call a Muggleborn, a first generation magic user, already has drawn the ire of the Purebloods, and with far less justification than they would have back home."

Medea nodded. "_And on top of that, she's a talented and intelligent student. While somewhat too adherent to strictly logical thought and rote learning, and not enough critical thinking, personal innovation or creativity, her talent and ability have clearly angered many of these inbred hicks. Personally, I find her to be an excellent student, and she just needs to hone her critical thinking skills, though they are fairly good already, given her own personal suspicions towards Dumbledore. She's breaking away from her authority worship, though her fangirling over myself, Merlin and Sherlock is a bit irritating. She reminds me of a less bitchy Athena, bluntly. Still, I see your point. While we cannot rule out the possibility of her family simply being in the path of Hessian Lobo, it does feel more like a targeted attack. Certainly the nastier elements of Slytherin seem to be the most likely possibility, along with virtually every Death Eater out there. I doubt that one of this faux Dumbledore's camp, save for what we heard of Severus Snape, would have the Hessian Lobo as a Servant. That being said…there is some good news._"

"And that is?"

"_There doesn't appear to be a fellow Caster here as a rival Servant_," Medea said. "_I would have known if I had stepped onto the territory of another. Therefore, I'm going to convert at least part of Hogwarts into my Workshop. As much as I don't want to dwell amongst the filth and the dark, I believe using the Chamber of Secrets should suffice. I may even be able to set up a beacon like the one we devised to allow for summoning Servants directly into Hogwarts without needing Mash's shield._"

"Good. However, I may need you and Harry to rendezvous with Ristuka and the Pendragons and Hassans to touch base and go over any extraction plans," Da Vinci said. "Speaking of which, Hundred Face is using one of her personas to try and get information from an interesting source. The owner of the Hog's Head is none other than Dumbledore's brother, Aberforth. The two are apparently estranged, and have been for decades. I don't know how much information he can give us, but still…every little scrap counts."

"_Indeed. Well, if that is all, I will retire for the night. Hopefully, we might be able to find the Horcrux here soon_," Medea said, yawning a little. "_Good night, Da Vinci._"

Da Vinci nodded, and returned the farewell. As the transmission cut off, the door opened, and a familiar shape trotted through. "Kyu?"

Da Vinci smiled as Fou leapt onto her lap. "…You're worried about them, aren't you?" When the snow-white dog-like animal, otherwise known as Beast IV or Cath Pulug, whined a response, she chuckled. "I know. I'm worried about so many things, comes with the job, but I worry about them in particular. I wish you could talk, you know. The things you and I could discuss…well, assuming one of us didn't bore each other. But one thing I would want to know…Fou…am I correct? About Harry? About what he is?"

After a moment, Fou nodded. It was the nearest to a coherent response they would get from the intelligent former Beast. "I thought so. If anyone would know, it'd be a Beast, and one who has spent enough time with him. But I need proof to present to him, more than the word of…well, a cute little critter like you. He, along with a few others, do know you retained your intelligence if not your power, but your word is not evidence. Hopefully, the charm your favourite punching bag created will give us the necessary confirmation. And then comes the hard part…revealing what he really is…"

* * *

The old man looked out across the sky with wonder and awe. While he had been flying on both magical and mundane means, this was something else, a flying fortress in the sky. He had to admit to being moved.

"Yeah, it's an awesome sight, isn't it?" said Charlemagne, walking up to him. "And now that your body is back to normal…well, you can appreciate your freedom a lot more, old-timer."

"Freedom…" the old man said, before a bitter, sardonic chuckle escaped his wizened lips. "There are varying shades of freedom just as there are of morality. I am not free, Charlemagne. Even with my appearance back to how it should have been…I am not free. If I walked down the street, questions would be asked at the very least, and I would probably be arrested by the Aurors. Harry would have every reason to distrust me, given what has been done to him by my old friend, as would Chaldea. I am a failure, Charlemagne. I have failed so many. I failed Credence…no, Aurelius when his mind was poisoned against me. I failed Tom when I treated him with coldness and suspicion, and failed to steer him away from his dark path. I failed many in Slytherin when I allowed the Marauders to have their way. I failed when the sins of my past came to claim me, and locked me away in Nurmengard."

"And? Geez, you're making out like you can't correct your mistakes, old-timer. Or have you given up already? Seriously, dunno why I picked you as a Master, then. I mean…you know of the story of Roland? Now, while I think he was a twit for not blowing on his horn for reinforcements, the thing about Roland is that he never gave up, even in the face of overwhelming odds. None of us did, really. Astolfo, Bradamante, Oliver…we never gave up. And neither should you. You may think yourself a fool, and you may have failed a lot of times, but so what? You know why your old buddy locked you up? Because you were awesome enough to beat him. And you can do it again, even if you need help from others."

The old man merely looked across the sky. "…No. I can't. I failed too many. My name is being ground into the dirt. I…I just can't. No…better to let a revenant whose time has passed fade away. Albus Dumbledore is dead. I just haven't stopped breathing yet…"

**CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it, the revelation many of you have guessed. Dumbledore was locked away in Nurmengard by someone pretending to be him…so who is that in Hogwarts? I know many of you have been saying who it is in reviews, but I'll keep the main lot of readers in suspense for a little while longer. Still…poor Dumbledore's succumbed to despair. Can Charlemagne drag him out of it? Or does he need someone else?**

**Meanwhile, his usurper's Servant has been revealed: Karl Magnus Rex, aka Charlemagne, from ****_Fate/Extella Link_****. Given who his Master is, Karl is actually a suitable Servant for them, albeit with a number of differences. Karl's ability to Oraclize has been nerfed, justified as him being away from his home territories, but once part of his Noble Phantasm regains power, it'll become a moot point.**

**For those unfamiliar with that game and wondering what the difference between the Charlemagne with Dumbledore and Karl Magnus Rex is, well, allow me to explain. Karl Magnus Rex is basically the Servant version of the ****_historical_**** Charlemagne, whereas Dumbledore's Servant is the ****_fictional_**** version of Charlemagne from all the chivalric stories from the Matter of France. Under normal circumstances, the Saber Charlemagne cannot exist, though in this circumstance, the corrupted Holy Grails of the Demon Pillars caused this. A different atypical circumstance occurred within the game.**

**Now, Dumbledore's impostor is working to his own agenda, as is Karl and the Demon Pillars. The impostor wants to gain power over his world, and others, as does Karl, but Karl is considerably more altruistic, having a more ruthless version of the Greater Good in mind, but he also does love humanity and wants to unite it. The impostor is a megalomaniac, and has lost sight of most of his ideals by this point, due to being embittered and spiteful from his previous defeats. The Demon Pillars want to conquer this world, and then the ****_Fate/Grand Order_**** world, as revenge for what happened to Goetia, though destroying humanity is not their plan any longer. Each of them plots to backstab the other, though Karl will only backstab the impostor as a last resort, given his honour, though as a former king of Christendom, the moment he deems it so, the Demon Pillars are going bye-bye.**

**And what of Da Vinci and the secret she believes is hidden within Harry? Well…I'm considering revealing that in the next chapter. Whenever that comes out…**

**Review-answering time! ****Guest****: The big reveal has NOTHING to do with Lily, and EVERYTHING to do with the Grail that was disguised as the Triwizard Trophy going haywire. Believe me, while I did consider having Lily somehow engineer what happened to Harry, it made things a LOT less complicated and tangled up in terms of story logic to blame it all on the magical MacGuffin. And the switcheroo, as you put it, happened…I think during James and Lily's last years at Hogwarts, or just after.**

**Reishin Amara****: I will try to work that in at a later date. Hopefully.**

**1\. Fou retaining his intelligence was used in ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****, so I decided to go with it here.**


	12. Chapter 11: A Secret Revealed

**CHAPTER 11:**

**A SECRET REVEALED**

The first day of teaching was somewhat unremarkable. True, they had to deal with Umbridge hanging around like a bad smell, trying to interrupt or interject, but Medea shot her down with ease. Harry generally followed her lead, while keeping an eye on matters, Mary doing the same from her Astral form.

He'd had a rather bad nightmare last night. In truth, he'd had more than a few since joining Chaldea, though that was due in part to the experiences he went through. Not just in Camelot, either. Babylonia was one of the worst, in hindsight. He didn't like thinking about Babylonia, because of the sheer losses that happened to the people and Servants who had been summoned to that era. Arrogant King Gilgamesh, who, despite his sneers and harsh words, was a damn sight more likeable than his Archer counterpart. Siduri, his beleaguered and gentle assistant. Ushiwakamaru, corrupted by the Chaos Tide of Tiamat, and Benkei, who died trying to take her corrupted form down. Leonidas, who faced the Gorgon to save them. Kingu, a vicious doppelganger of Enkidu who nonetheless began to help them towards the end. At least Quetzlcoatl, Ereshkigal, and Ishtar joined Chaldea afterwards, as did Ana, Medusa's child form who had helped them.

And then, there was Tiamat herself. Even now, her mournful song echoed in his dreams. Worse, he could understand her. For some reason, she seemed to sing in Parseltongue, a primal language Dr Roman called it. He'd tried to respond, tried to negotiate. It was hard, given how utterly alien her mindset was. But for a time, it looked like he would succeed.

He remembered her beauty, in her Femme Fatale form, the elegant form of a beautiful, lugubrious woman with blue hair, red eyes with stars shining in them, and massive horns coming from her head. He knew that Tiamat, despite being called a Beast, despite everything she had done, was not fundamentally evil, even if the Beasts were called the Evils of Humanity. She did not understand that what she was doing would only alienate her children. He tried to get her to understand, and she was beginning to listen. He felt that she wanted to believe that there was a way for her to get the love from her children without doing what she was doing.

And then, fucking _Goetia_ intervened. He took control of the Lahmus flanking her, and had then turn on her, destroying her Femme Fatale form, and causing her to mutate into the genocidal entity that nearly wiped out humanity before it truly flourished. And the last thing he remembered was the look in her star-filled eyes, before she sang out one last sentence in her primal Parseltongue.

**_FORGIVE ME, MY CHILD_**.

Killing her was one of the hardest things he ever did, even when fighting alongside the Fujimarus and Gabrielle. Not just because it was ridiculously hard to kill Tiamat (and frankly, she was only able to be vanquished after King Hassan imparted the concept of dying onto her, which actually made her become killable), but because he knew that, if Goetia hadn't been as much of a dick as he was, they could have resolved things peacefully. That Tiamat could have been negotiated with, something most thought impossible. True, it was hard trying to explain to Tiamat certain concepts, to get her to understand why her children were fighting her, but he knew he was making progress.

His nightmare had been much like that. During the final battles, Tiamat's singing translated to little more than incoherent screams of wrath, or rage-filled words. She was no longer a thinking entity, but just pure instinct. But in the nightmare last night, she sang out pleas to stop hurting her, and he was powerless to do so. No, he felt _compelled_ to do so, murdering her. In another, he drowned in her Chaos Tide, and became a Lahmu, under her control, savaging Mash, the Fujimarus, Gabrielle, and the various Servants with glee. Especially Mary. One nightmare in particular ended with him ripping her head off, and her violet eyes staring at him in shocked betrayal as her severed head sank into the grotesque mud that was the Chaos Tide.

In a way, the mundanity of the day helped chase away that nightmare. So did Mary's reassuring presence. Indeed, the friends he knew, both in this world and in Chaldea, helped keep him sane. But still, he felt a sense of foreboding for the day, as if the normalcy was but the calm before the storm.

He didn't know how right he was…

* * *

For dinner, he was to go down to the Hog's Head. Dumbledore (or rather, the impostor, if what Medea claimed was true) knew he had to go and meet with some contacts from Chaldea, though they hadn't specified whom they would meet. Still, he was sure he was being watched, or even followed. By a Servant, or by one of the impostor's minions, he didn't know, though he did notice a couple of pigeons looking at him with unusual scrutiny. He would have dismissed such a thing as paranoia, but pigeons could be used as familiars.

He made it to Hogsmeade without anything happening, thankfully, and to the Hog's Head, directed to a room by the surly older man who resembled Dumbledore. His brother Aberforth, no doubt. Still, the dingy tavern seemed like a clichéd meeting place.

Greeting him at the door was Ritsuka Fujimaru, a red-haired Japanese girl a little younger than him. "Hey, Harry," she said, hastening him in, with Harry taking note of the others present. Although the room was meant for two, four others were present: Arturia and Mordred, as well as the two Hassans known as Cursed Arm and Hundred-Face. The former was a lanky, muscled and strangely proportioned man with pitch black skin and the distinctive skull masks all Hassans normally wore. The latter was (at least in the body she habitually used to interact with others, nicknamed 'Asako', as her original life was actually male, as was most of her bodies) a lithe, athletic woman with similarly coloured skin and violet hair.

"Hey, Ritsuka. Keeping out of trouble?"

"Not for lack of trying," Arturia said, shooting Mordred a look.

"Oi, that moron had it coming, trying to grope me and calling me a fucking Muggle. He's lucky to have kept most of his teeth," Mordred snarled.

Harry chuckled. Mordred had come to terms with the fact that most people would call her a girl. Her insistence on being called otherwise was not due to any form of transsexuality, but rather, her extreme tomboyishness combined with the fact that women couldn't be knights. The likes of Agravain, who was a misogynistic prick, didn't help matters. Mary, who Deastralized next to Harry, said, "Your restraint is admirable, Mordred. When we first met…I believe you would have broken a limb at least."

Mordred rolled her eyes, but she said, "Yeah, well, apparently Aberforth, the old goat downstairs, had to deal with him quite a few times. Gave Father a look like he wanted to grope her too. Anyway, there's not much to report, at least as far as surveillance is concerned. Seriously, this is an arse-end of a village in the cold colon of the Scottish highlands."

"Mordred's language aside, she has a point," Arturia said. "I don't think we have gained much in the way of useful intelligence, though I do believe we are being watched, both by familiars and by scrying. However, Medea claims that Hogwarts has not been made a territory of a rival Caster. If Dumbledore's impostor has a Servant at his command, it may not be a Caster."

"Yeah, and I've got a really weird feeling of déjà vu. I mean, while being watched by whoever's doing this," Mordred said. "Still…I hate this arsing around, waiting for something to happen."

"Something may happen before long," Asako said, slapping a newspaper down on the table. "The news is still filled with Grindlewald's escape, and he may have had a Saber helping him. Who's to say Grindlewald won't try something."

"_Assuming it IS Grindlewald!_" Da Vinci said, her holographic image suddenly emanating from a projector on the table. "_Hi, Harry! It's good that you're here now._" Her usually cheerful face became somewhat solemn. "_I have a few things that I need to tell you. In fact, it's only now that I have enough data to confirm my hypothesis._"

Harry frowned, before looking at Mary, who gave a slight shrug. Harry looked back at Da Vinci's image. "What do you mean?"

Da Vinci looked at Ritsuka and the others. "_Ritsuka? Asako? Cursed Arm? Could you please leave for a moment?_"

The two Assassins looked at each other, before nodding, and fading away. Ritsuka frowned. "But why?"

"_Because this is a matter of considerable delicacy. I'm keeping Mordred and Arturia here…just in case. Hopefully, all Harry will need is a shoulder to lean on, or three, and of those present, Harry is best with the Pendragons. You'll be fully briefed on the situation, Ritsuka, you and the other Masters and Servants, but for now, please trust me._"

Eventually, Ritsuka nodded, and left. Harry, however, frowned. "Da Vinci…what is going on?"

Da Vinci closed her eyes, seemingly gathering her thoughts. "_I've been keeping something from you for some time, Harry. Ever since we found you in the Camelot Singularity, and managed to get you out of there…a notion has been plaguing me. Romani…he and I discussed the idea shortly before we confronted Goetia. Since then, I've discussed the idea with Holmes and Moriarty, along with Medea and Merlin. Most don't know what I have been thinking about, and I mean to keep it that way. If Clock Tower found out…you'd be slapped with a ridiculous amount of Sealing Designations, and I don't just mean because of the way your magic works._"

Harry felt a thrill of horror at this. He knew that he was on the verge of discovering a horrible truth about himself. And yet, he felt a burst of anger. "And you kept this from me?"

"_Because I wanted to be sure before telling you!_" Da Vinci snapped, her blue eyes boring into his own with laser-like intensity. "_Earlier this afternoon, I got the proof I needed to prove my hypothesis, from the amulet Medea gave you. It has a subtle contact-based spell that analyses your body in a much deeper way than even Chaldea's instruments can, aside from the functions Medea told you about already._"

"To what end?" Arturia asked, frowning. "Why are you telling us this?"

"…_Consider rayshifting. It is used to send people and Servants to the past and bring them back, and is a vastly complicated process that requires continual monitoring to prevent the time-travellers from being affected by various forces, like Gaia, Alaya, and the like_," Da Vinci said. "_Retrieving someone from within a Singularity should be damned near impossible. I could go into the whys and hows, and we'd be here all night. Then, there's the fact that you, Harry, ended up in a Singularity of a timeline far away from your own universe. You travelled over seven centuries into the past of a parallel world. That's two True Magics at the very least. How did you get there? Well, as we have already discussed, the Tri-Wizard Tournament Trophy was in fact a modified Holy Grail, of the sort that Goetia and his minions handed out like candy. The magic of the Grail went haywire, sending you into the Camelot Singularity. But doing so would normally destroy someone. You survived._"

"…And?" Harry asked, not liking where this is going.

"_A Grail is pretty much an embodiment of True Magic, being routes to Akasha in some regards_," Da Vinci pointed out. "_Both Arturia and Mordred had wishes to go back in time for various reasons when they fought in their respective Holy Grail Wars. But the key magic it embodies, the one the von Einzberns wished to recreate when they created the original Holy Grail War, is the Third True Magic, Heaven's Feel. While hard to define in its totality, it has to do with the materialisation and manipulation of the soul, allowing one to revive the dead, or transfer souls between bodies. Shirou Amakusa Tokisada even intended to use the Grail to materialise the souls of humanity in order to bring them salvation. But it's not just Heaven's Feel involved. The Holy Grail Wars also give Heroic Spirits bodies made of Spiritrons, and that is what we call Servants._"

"Is there a point yet, Da Vinci?" Mordred scowled. "Harry's looking mighty skittish, and you're giving a lecture that seems to have fuck all to do with this."

"_I'm getting to it_," Da Vinci said. "_When you first met Mary, her poison didn't affect you. Despite the fact that every ordinary human, save for yourself and the other Masters, are affected. Now, the other Masters can be explained away due to their contract with Mash, or rather, Galahad. But with you, it's something else. Your remarks about Phoenix tears and Basilisk venom led me to investigate that. That came up blank. But after that mess in Babylonia, Romani and I got to talking, and we came across a hypothesis that…well, it scared us, if only because of what it would do to you. I was worried that you'd react badly, or become reckless…well, more so than usual. Because if I was wrong…you'd die, and we'd be unable to do anything about it. That still may be the case. Anyway, I need to ask you, Harry, when you were holding onto the trophy…what were you thinking?_"

"…That I was worried that I couldn't save anyone, and that I would do anything to be able to save people again."

"_Exactly. The Holy Grail, even as it went haywire, responded to your wish, Harry_," Da Vinci said solemnly. "_You were on the verge of dying while in transit to the Camelot Singularity…so the Grail did the only thing it could to keep you alive, based on your wish._" With that, Da Vinci gestured, and a series of graphics popped up. "_These are measurements of spiritual signatures. The first is a baseline Magus, Ritsuka's, to be precise. The second is my own, basically an interpretation of my Saint Graph that my Servant form is based on. And the third is yours._"

Harry stared at the graphics. The third seemed to be a hybrid of the first two in many regards. "…What are you saying?" he asked in a horrified whisper.

"_I'm saying that you are no longer truly human, Harry. You are a partially-manifested Heroic Spirit_…"

**CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, there you go. The big reveal, or one of them anyway, done at last. Sorry about the wait, and frankly, I don't know when the next chapter will be out.**

**That little bit at the start, about Tiamat, was added in, as I've almost finished the Babylonia Singularity since the last chapter. Her responding to Parseltongue as a primal language was something I was conceiving for a possible Harry/Tiamat story (yes, I was seriously considering it, and while I didn't consider it when meemapmeow originally suggested it in an earlier review of this story, they were right, I am seriously considering it after playing through that Singularity), and I thought it interesting to give the heroes a hope spot of trying to prevent Tiamat from rampaging…only for Goetia to pull a dick move. Because Tiamat is probably the most sympathetic of the Beasts, unless you count a certain mascot of Chaldea…who loves attacking Merlin. "Foouuu Murder Merlin fouuu…"**

**Anyway, the big reveal…now, this was something I had conceived of pretty much from the beginning. It not only explains Harry's resilience to Serenity/Mary's poison, but also how the hell he was retrieved by Chaldea. Of course, a lot of you caught on. It's worth pointing out, though, that Harry is sort of in an indeterminate state, and he's not exactly a powerful Heroic Spirit. He's still at human levels. But that may change…**

**Review-answering time! ****MWkillkenny****: No, she isn't. I'm only aware of her thanks to another fanfic, and even then, I don't intend for Zealot to appear any time soon…**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	13. Chapter 12: Existential Problems

**CHAPTER 12:**

**EXISTENTIAL PROBLEMS**

Harry stared at the holographic image in shock. Mary did the same, though her mouth was in a tiny moue of a frown. "…A Heroic Spirit?" Mary finally said. "You say that the Holy Grail has turned Harry into a Heroic Spirit?"

"_Incompletely, or rather, it's like a hybridisation_," Da Vinci said. "_Even now, I am struggling to make sense of the data, so I can't offer you a more precise classification. However, it's theoretically possible. The Throne of Heroes transcends normal boundaries of time and space, and you may very well exist on it already. While heroes from modern or future times are less likely to be summoned as Servants due to various reasons, the two EMIYA Counter-Guardians, to say nothing of Illya, Kuro, Miyu and Irisviel are proof that they do exist. And the Throne is sure to span most if not all known parallel worlds. In a way, Harry's situation is also not unlike that of Arturia's when she fought in the Fuyuki Holy Grail War. She had a physical body that couldn't Astralize due to the pact she made with the World. While the Grail gave her a Servant's body, it was the real Arturia rather than a Xeroxed copy from the Throne. Do not misunderstand me, Harry, you are very much alive and, I am sure, the original form of you. But you have, albeit imperfectly, the power of a Heroic Spirit._"

"…Why didn't you tell me this?" Harry asked flatly, unsure whether he should feel fear, despair, or anger. Instead, he just felt _numb_.

"_Because of this reaction, partly_," Da Vinci said. "_I wanted to be absolutely sure. The difference between a hypothesis and a theory is that a theory has been tested, and the facts support it. I have enough facts and evidence to support it now, even if some parts are unclear. And if you did learn that you were a Heroic Spirit, what then? You already have a cavalier attitude to your life while fighting, more so than Gudao. If you learned, falsely, that you were a Heroic Spirit, and thus could be potentially summoned back at Chaldea if you died…I would be responsible for your death if you fought even more recklessly. Mary had to hold you back when those Lahmu turned on Tiamat, to say nothing of what happened when you two met Agravain again. In addition, while your current state of existence is similar to an embodied Heroic Spirit's, you have nowhere near the power of one. While your magical ability compared to an average Magus of your age is impressive, it is still very much on a human level. Even knowing what I do now, there's no guarantee that, if you do die, I can bring the you sitting there back using the FATE system. It's more than likely that all I'd be doing is retrieving a Xeroxed copy back from the Throne._"

"…Wow. Way to be tactful, Da Vinci," Mordred snarked.

"_This __**is**__ tactful, and Harry would appreciate my frankness. Aside from Mary, Harry has the strongest bonds with you two, along with Medea, Atalanta, her adoptive children, Jeanne, and Eve_," Da Vinci said. "_And yours truly, of course, though I am sure that has changed a bit. Harry, do you understand why I haven't told you?_"

"Yeah. I'm still angry, though," Harry said quietly.

"_Harry, there are plenty of secrets I haven't told you. This was just the one most immediately relevant to you_," Da Vinci said. "_However, this is something I haven't even told Clock Tower. The only Magi with Clock Tower affiliation I would trust with this are Waver and Zelretch. We're already in a very delicate position with both the Magus Association and the UN, thanks to what happened. We've managed to gain breathing space by cooperating enough with them, but there are already rumours of…well, something happening. Discovering an existence like your own may be enough for a faction within Clock Tower to decide to tear up the treaty and institute a hostile takeover, and frankly, a lot of Clock Tower would sit by and let it happen. Given the small army of Servants we have, well, they consider us a threat._"

"…What does this change regarding Harry's position within Chaldea?" Mary asked quietly.

"_Nothing, especially on paper. Harry's combat abilities, while good for a magic user, are nowhere near that of a Servant's, so he will remain a Master. I will also be destroying any evidence about this issue. Any disclosure will be done on a case-by-case basis to trusted allies._"

"I have a question, Da Vinci," Arturia said. "If Harry qualifies as a Heroic Spirit, then that must mean he has some sort of Noble Phantasm. What would they be?"

"_I've honestly no idea_," Da Vinci admitted. "_His particular resistance to poison could be part of one. But remember, Heroic Spirits will have differing Noble Phantasms depending on which Servant class they are summoned as. Noble Phantasms, after all, are unique to the hero, or at least unique to a small group of them, as with Cú Chulainn and Scáthach both using Gáe Bolg. It could be something as simple as your mother's protection she granted you, Harry, or something else. Say, your prized broom…that would be your Noble Phantasm if you manifested as a Rider. Your wand could be one too, even if it originally manifested as a Mystic Code. Or you could be like EMIYA, Iskandar, or Alice and have a Reality Marble somehow. There's too little data to be able to tell. Remember, a Noble Phantasm isn't just a weapon or an item. Often, it's a trait innate to the person, or an ability. If you allow me to continue the scan, I might be able to find out._"

Harry frowned, looking at the amulet. His first instinct was to refuse, out of anger for her concealing this from him. But just as soon as the anger came, it left him, or at least the biggest surge of it did. If he really was a Heroic Spirit, then a future battle may hinge on him being able to pull a trump card out of the air. "Fine," he said, a little more sharply than he should have.

"_Harry_," Da Vinci said quietly, the interjection getting through to him. And when he met her blue eyes again, her face was giving him a warm smile. Not her usual impish one, but rather, the one he preferred. It was a maternal smile. In a way, Da Vinci all but adopted him after learning he was an orphan, though a few other Servants did the same. "_I know what it is like to have an existential crisis. Remember, most Servants, with a few exceptions, are not the same as the Heroic Spirits that reside on the Throne of Heroes. We're Xeroxed copies. Some of us are able to retain memories of previous Grail Wars, but others…sometimes, I lie awake at night, unable to sleep…and yes, I'm a Servant, but I still sometimes sleep to try and remind myself than I am still human. But I can't at times. And sometimes, it's because I worry about how real I am._"

"…And remember Hundred-Face, Harry," Mary said softly. "Her Noble Phantasm revolves around a split personality. It's hard for her to even remember who is real, and who was even the original Hundred-Faced Hassan. And…on occasion, I still think this is some perverse dying dream, either after the Great Founder took my head, or while I am chained up in Agravain's dungeon. Because life cannot possibly be this kind to me, to give me someone who loves me, and who is immune to my touch."

"Do not let yourself wallow in anger or despair, Harry," Arturia said. "If anything, what the Grail has done to you can be a great boon. Yes, it is not without risks, especially considering Chaldea's situation, but you have shown yourself, as with the other Masters of Chaldea, to be a worthy hero yourself. That you have become a Heroic Spirit just shows how worthy you are."

"Yeah. That just means you can kick all sorts of arse once we get you up to par, Harry," Mordred said, grinning. "So what if you're partly a Heroic Spirit now? That's a good thing, and don't you dare think otherwise, or I will spank you with Clarent to get you out of your emo-ness."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle ruefully. For someone infamous to posterity as a traitor, Mordred was boisterous and likeable. She was, admittedly, more relatable than her sire, though this was no real slight on Arturia, who tended to be more reserved than her child. Thankfully, the two had mostly patched up their differences before they came to the Camelot Singularity. "Thanks, all of you," he said quietly. "That being said, I need to ask, does this change the mission parameters?"

"_Not so far_," Da Vinci said. "_However, our monitoring of that world has managed to finally track down the current hideout of the possible Saber Servant who broke into Nurmengard. Admittedly, it took a lot of passes with our imaging and surveillance techniques, but…well, here it is. It's hidden from mundane and even most magical surveillance._"

An image appeared in place of Da Vinci, showing a small fortress flying through the sky. It seemed to be based around a garden square, and had a number of buildings on the edge, rather elaborate medieval-looking ones. It was a thing of beauty, and yet… "That's a Noble Phantasm, isn't it?"

"_Yes. We have spotted the Saber, but not the one he broke out of Nurmengard, at least not yet. He doesn't look like the sort to break out someone as notorious as Grindlewald_," Da Vinci said, summoning up another image, showing a grainy image of a dark-haired young man with earnest features, dressed in blue. "_I've been circulating the image amongst the gathered Servants back here, just in case they recognise_…"

"_Yahoo, Da Vinci, I'm heeere!_" they heard a familiar, feminine voice chirp.

Da Vinci's image reappeared, and she looked put-upon. "_Astolfo, I'm in the middle of communications here. Didn't you see the 'Do Not Disturb' message on the keypad screen?_"

"…_Yeah, but I had something to tell you, so I Deastralized to go through the door_." Then, a familiar pink-haired feminine face appeared over Da Vinci's shoulder. "_Oh, hey, it's you guys! Hey, Arturia! Hey, Mordred! Hey, Harry! Hey, Mary! How's things?_"

Harry sighed. Astolfo was pretty endearing, despite his cross-dressing tendencies (seriously, how could a guy look and sound so much like a girl), but there were times when the ditzy former Paladin of Charlemagne was a pain in the arse. This was one of them. "…Astolfo, what do you want?"

"_Hmm? Oh, right. Da Vinci…I know who that guy is. You know, the guy whose picture you circulated amongst the Servants? The one you said was a Saber? I dunno why he'd rescue someone like Grindlewald…unless there was something else going on._" Astolfo waved a printout showing the dark-haired Saber.

"You know him?" Arturia asked.

"_Well, yeah. This guy used to be my boss! This is Charlie! You know, Charlemagne?_"

A silence fell over the gathered people present, as they digested this. The man who broke into Nurmengard was Charlemagne, one of the most famous rulers of Western Europe, famed in both history and, due to the tales known as the Matter of France, where Astolfo played a role, myth. Finally, Da Vinci asked, "_Astolfo, are you sure about this?_"

"_Hey, I've known him all my life. This is what Charlie looked like in the prime of his youth, back when we were getting into all sorts of adventures and scrapes and the like. Before he became the founder of the Carolingian Empire, anyway_," Astolfo said. "_And that fortress…it's one of his Noble Phantasms, Charles Patricius._"

Eventually, Da Vinci, after a lot of thought, said, "_Astolfo, we'll be deploying you. Your mission is to approach your former leader under a flag of parley and find out what's going on. If we're lucky, we might have another big piece of the puzzle._"

"_Yahoo! You got it, Da Vinci!_"

As Astolfo scampered out of view, Arturia asked, "Is that wise, Da Vinci? If Charlemagne is our enemy…"

"_Yes, I know. But I have the feeling that Charlemagne may hold the key to the main mystery around this Singularity. If we're lucky, we might learn more about what is going on. Anyway…there's no further business that I need to get out of the way. So, let's go over extraction plans_…"

* * *

Snape winced as he staggered into the vast, ornate chamber, like a throne room. First, he had to go and report to the Dark Lord, and wasn't _that_ a pleasant experience? He had to discuss what he knew about the newcomers from Chaldea, as well as letting slip that Harry Potter was alive and well. Voldemort…had not taken that well.

As he stumbled, he suddenly felt himself being held by slender but deceptively strong limbs. "…Here, drink," spoke a voice, and he took the proffered vial and guzzled it down.

"Thank you," Snape said, a little reluctantly. Not because the one he was speaking to didn't deserve thanks, but because he was loath to thank anyone on general principle.

"You should hand in your notice," said the voice, a sultry purr that nonetheless held actual concern in it. "Being beholden to two would-be megalomaniacal tyrants is bad for your health."

"I will…once everything is ready. Though I have to wonder…will Chaldea be of any help?"

"If nothing else, they will be a useful distraction," the owner of the voice said, walking up a set of steps to a throne, which she primly sat down upon. She was beautiful, but had a cruel beauty, her eyes golden with slitted pupils, her dress dark and lined with feathers. "The Hanging Gardens are nearly complete, thanks to the monies your associates were kind enough to _donate_ to the cause and the materials your contacts at Gringotts managed to acquire. The old fool at Hogwarts does not know my Noble Phantasm, does he?"

"I don't know. He's good at keeping his cards close to his chest, and that damned Ruler of his…it feels like he can see right through me, even with all my skill in Occlumency."

"Well, I think they will have other things to worry about," the woman said. "My familiars spotted Potter as he made his way to Hogsmeade. You have my gratitude for providing me with the image of his disguise to look out for. Chaldea's definitely up to something. Especially if they have that little brat there. Mordred, and her sire Arturia…still, as much as I desire revenge, it would be more prudent to use them to distract our foes. Then, we will swoop in, and claim the Holy Grail. Perhaps then you can revive your paramour."

Snape nodded, though he wasn't sure whether he would revive Lily. As much as he wanted to, he knew she would never accept his love now. Still, he and this woman were two of a kind, scorned for their intelligence and pragmatism and tendency to dabble in things others were too cowardly to venture into. "Perhaps. Still…can we trust that fool of a knight to save the real Dumbledore?"

"He's too earnest for his own good. He knows he's being played, but his own chivalrous nature works against him," the woman said. "Again, he will act as a useful distraction. Severus, you need to stop asking these tedious questions. You are a prodigy when it comes to potions, a veritable kindred spirit. You may not approach my societal station, but in terms of prowess in potions, well, it says a lot when I can learn things from you than the other way around."

Snape allowed a smile, one of his few genuine ones, untouched by cynicism or malice, to come to his face. "You flatter me, Assassin. Wouldn't that be the reverse of what should be the case?"

"If that were true, you would use my true name when we were alone…wouldn't you?"

"Very well…Semiramis…"

**CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

**And there you have it. Harry trying to get over some existential problems, Astolfo discovering the true identity of Dumbledore's rescuer, and Snape's Servant revealed…though a number of you guessed that already. Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter will be out. I say that all the time, yes, but it's true.**

**Review-answering time! ****Acolyte of the Blood Moon****: While I have no plans to that effect, never say never. That being said, two big problems I had when considering a story where Harry summoned Tiamat as a Servant come to mind: what is her class (or classes), and what would be her Noble Phantasm(s)?**

**Dragon Man 180****: What has happened to Harry is complicated. It's more like he has become his own Heroic Spirit embodied.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	14. Chapter 13: Comfort

**CHAPTER 13:**

**COMFORT**

Harry couldn't sleep that night, or at least not much. How could he, when he learned such things about himself? In fact, he decided to stay in the Hog's Head overnight, forking over money to Aberforth Dumbledore. He even had Mary join him later in disguise (her dark grey skin temporarily turned to a more European shade to avoid comment), with Aberforth giving him a knowing but sympathetic smile.

They didn't make love that night, but then again, it wasn't like Mary and Harry had sex very frequently. Just being close to each other was enough for both of them most of the time, especially for Mary, who, due to her condition, had been starved of proper physical contact. Instead, Harry hung onto Serenity, like a human teddy bear. Usually, it was the other way around, with the slender Assassin doing so. But he was the one especially in need of comfort this time.

Mary was gently singing a song in Farsi to him as he embraced her. He hadn't learned as much as he would have liked of her native languages of Farsi and Arabic, but he knew a few words and phrases here and there. He knew that the song was a romantic song from the part of Iran where Alamut, the headquarters of the Assassins, came from. It was a somewhat melancholy song, from the translation Mary had once told him, but it was a moving one. And, most importantly, it was a soothing one.

Mary was a fairly good singer. This was actually one of the many talents she had acquired in training as one of the Order of Assassins. She had been trained to be like a courtesan, not a mere seductress, but rather, someone who could entertain men with song, poetry, dance, even philosophical and theological discourse. Mary, while passive and introverted, was actually very intelligent, or at least well-read, despite being only relatively young when King Hassan came for her. True, she didn't have the acumen of the more experienced Hassans, with Cursed Arm having more experience, and Hundred-Face using her split-personalities to accrue all sorts of knowledge, but she was still more intelligent than her passive nature implied.

Her song came to a close, and for a time, silence fell in the room, helped by the Privacy Charms he had erected. Then, Mary said, quietly, "I believe I know a little of what you are going through, Harry."

"…You do?" He wasn't angry at her for bringing it up. If anything, he was comforted by that. She was the tactful one, and wouldn't bring something like this up unless she had a good reason.

"Not completely, but…I know what it is like to question one's own identity," Mary said. "After all, an essential part of even becoming one of our order is self-abnegation."

"Huh?"

"Renunciation of the self," Mary explained. "Even the rank and file assassins, the ones I and the other Hassans led, were expected to lay down their very lives in duty to our cause. But…our part of the Order held ourselves to a higher standard than the rest, who got bogged down in politics and religious fanaticism. I digress, though. When we become the Hassan-i Sabbah, the successor to the Great Founder, we are expected to divest ourselves of our old identities. My face was the one exception to the rule, as you know, but the girl who was once Maryam was supposed to have died, and Hassan of Serenity took her place. I believe it was that denial of my identity that contributed, at least in part, to my downfall, though my status as a _Visha Kanya_ and the consequences thereof contributed the greater part."

"…That must be hard."

"Indeed. I was but a teenager when I became Hassan-i Sabbah. While I was not the youngest to achieve the rank, I was one of the youngest. I also had one of the shortest reigns, so to speak, even if my legend became noteworthy enough to become inscribed upon the Throne of Heroes. In a way, I am grateful. Becoming a Servant potentially allows me to use my skills for something other than mere assassination. Indeed, that is what I am doing for Chaldea. Even the Great Founder approves, and his approval is hard to come by. But you have given me an identity of sorts back. Not the one I had before becoming Hassan of Serenity, but something not unlike it. Do not believe that your identity has changed given your status. You are still Harry Potter, my Master and, most importantly, my friend and most precious person. Never think that this changes your value in my eyes. If anything, the change is for the better, for we have more in common now. We do not share the same faith, we come from very different backgrounds, and yet, we accept each other."

"Yeah, well, you accepted me because I was the first person you could touch without them puking and crapping out their own liquefied internal organs," he said, before regretting his choice of words. Very tactless, practically at Ron levels. Mary never liked being reminded of what her lethal touch did to people.

"Please do not put it like that." Yep, there was the rebuke, gentle though it was, in her words and tone. "You aren't wrong. But even before then, I remember your words, horrified for my plight, at the torture Agravain put me through. It felt like it had been an eternity since I had heard anyone truly concerned for my welfare. When Ritsuka, Gudao and Gabrielle came, freed you, and then you freed me…"

"Yeah, I remember how much you were blushing. I didn't even know you could blush with your skin that colour," Harry said with a smile. "You clung to me so much…you just wanted to be held and touched. You practically got addicted to it."

A giggle from Mary as she recalled that time, before she gently raised his face to look at her own. "I handed my head over to the Great Founder in life, because I despaired at being unable to be touched…no, more than that. Building up false relationships, only to betray them, over and over. I knew I could never have a love of my own because I would kill them with my body. I thought, when I manifested within the Camelot Singularity, that I would be doomed to another life in such a manner. Instead…I found you. Or perhaps you found me. Or something else brought you to me. Destiny, fate, divine will, or perhaps even just sheer coincidence. I do not care what brought you to me, only that you are here."

They then pressed their lips together. As always, Harry could taste a faint but sharp tang of what he always assumed to be Mary's poison. It wasn't a bad taste. If anything, it tasted like a citrus fruit, a mixture of sweet and sour. Or maybe that was wishful thinking. To so many, it would have been the taste of their own demise, heralding only their death. But to him, it meant nothing other than love.

Then, they broke off the kiss. Mary looked down a little. "Sometimes, I fear that this is a febrile dream, a delusion I may yet wake from. Many Hassans' Zabaniya abilities are appended with a 'Delusional', which is apt. My Zabaniya is the Delusional Body. Hundred-Face's is the Delusional Illusion. And Cursed Arm's is the Delusional Heartbeat. Harry…if this is a delusion…please ensure I do not wake. I like being a hero saving humanity, using my skills to save others and not just kill. I like having friends, and not just comrades. And…I love you."

"So do I," Harry said, before he kissed her again, savouring that sharp tang. They just embraced each other, lying in peaceful repose in their shared bed, eventually letting sleep claim them both...

* * *

"So, it has been confirmed?" Sherlock asked.

Da Vinci nodded. She'd come to Sherlock and Moriarty, who, after questioning Harry and gaining access to records in Harry's world (which Gabrielle, in a waggish mood, had nicknamed the Potterverse, with Tyler's original suggestion, the 'Magic is OP BS universe', shot down), and had revealed what she had finally found out. "Harry is pretty much a Heroic Spirit, or rather, he is an impossible existence that is a hybrid of human and Heroic Spirit, as opposed to a Demi-Servant or a Pseudo-Servant."

Moriarty frowned in thought, rubbing at his moustache. "It goes without saying that we cannot let this news spread, lest the unscrupulous at Clock Tower slap a ridiculous amount of Sealing Designations on him."

"Agreed," Da Vinci said. "I will be notifying Zelretch the next time he visits. Even if he may not be able to stop them, it's better to have him in our corner than not. This also has to stay in a fairly small circle of both staff and Servants here."

"Would you out him, Moriarty?" Sherlock asked.

The middle-aged mastermind waved a dismissive hand. "Perish the thought. The young man has grown on me, and in any case, should his nature be exposed, it would only give Clock Tower or the UN or some other organisation more of an excuse to shut Chaldea down, depriving me of my current existence and, more importantly, my entertainment. In addition, should yet another Pseudo-Singularity arise, or something similar, well, we need all the Masters we can get. After that little mess in Shinjuku, I find my taste for pyrrhic victories to have evaporated. Besides, Harry has the favour of a number of Servants who would come for me even if I tried. In fact, I am sure one is listening even now. Isn't that right, Hassan-i Sabbah?"

"**_Thou art correct in thy assumption, James Moriarty._**" The distinctive eldritch tones of King Hassan echoed through the room, as he materialised in a burst of azure flames. "**_I hath been aware of thy speculations for some time. It explains much about him. I shall not expose Harry's nature, but there art others who may do so, even if only through a loose tongue than a malicious one._**"

"Astolfo?" Da Vinci asked.

"**_Astolfo_**," King Hassan agreed. "**_Amongst others, true, but his tongue is one of the loosest due to his Evaporation of Reason skill. In any case, Harry's true nature changes little._**"

"I do find myself curious, though," Moriarty said. "I have held my tongue until now, but from what I have gathered from the other Hassans, you are extremely strict and fanatically adherent to the doctrines of your organisation. And while I can understand putting aside some of your strictures in order to save humanity, you seem to take a personal interest in Mary and Harry. Could you satisfy my curiosity and tell me why?"

King Hassan's blue eyes burned into Moriarty's own. "**_Thou knowst why, James Moriarty._**"

"Perhaps I do, but I wish to hear it from your own lips."

"**_Thou presume overly much. Be very careful, lest I have thee hand over thy head_**," King Hassan said. Then, after a moment, he added, "**_'Twas her own folly in life that led to her downfall, as it was with all mine successors. That, and the folly and cruelty, unintended or otherwise, of those who trained her, ensuring she cannot touch another living thing without killing it. But while we Hassans must hold ourselves to a high standard, denying earthly delights for the cause, to be denied one of life's most simple pleasures, to be able to touch another, was a cruelty she did not deserve. That she found one who can love her in spite of her poison, in spite of her profession, who was willing to even confront me for my actions in the Temple of Azrael, albeit foolishly…it heartens me. As long as they do not let their relationship interfere with our mission here in Chaldea, I will allow it. His strength is her strength, and vice versa. As he has helped her recover from her despair, so too will she help him recover from his despair in her turn._**"

Da Vinci smiled at King Hassan. Despite his rather harsh, strict and ascetic nature, in truth, he did care about his successors in his own way, like a strict father or grandfather figure. Da Vinci also knew that the former Grand Assassin had a soft spot, insomuch as he could be said to have one, for Mary. She was one of the only ones of his successors to willingly give herself up to his blade, which in itself gave her some respect in his eyes. And Da Vinci was sure that King Hassan felt sorry for her, in his own way, for having her tenure as one of his successors cut short by her own despair. Some part of him _wanted_ her to be happy.

Roman certainly did. Roman took a definite interest in Harry after they retrieved him from the Camelot Singularity, and when Mary, then still calling herself Hassan of Serenity, was summoned by the FATE system, her as well. While Roman was very much a scientist (insomuch as the term applied to magecraft) and a scholar, he was also someone who desired human bonds, and while he went about them in an awkward and eccentric manner, he did genuinely want them. Given how much he had been truly deprived of genuine bonds in life as Solomon, it was hardly surprising. To Harry and Mary, he had a paternal air, or at least one of an eccentric uncle. And he once confided to her that Mary reminded him a lot of Mash, that sense of isolation, that yearning for human connection. The fact that they were both adorable and shy, and yet so skilled and steadfast in combat didn't hurt.

And Harry…just like the other Masters, his biggest asset was his empathy. It was he who first saw through Quetzlcoatl's ruse when she pretended to kill her victims, and gained the acceptance of Ereshkigal. He nearly even managed to persuade Tiamat to stop her rampage, until Goetia decided to intervene. And when you've managed to nearly persuade an immortal primordial goddess with an alien mindset not to attack, stopped only by the dick move of another, you know you have something going for you.

Da Vinci also felt relieved that Harry took the news fairly well, and accepted, albeit grudgingly, the reasons why she concealed the matter from him. He was an important asset to Chaldea as one of its few Masters, and a Master going rogue was a bad thing. More importantly, she felt a big sister instinct towards him. Admittedly, she did with the other Masters, to say nothing of most of the other staff of Chaldea and many Servants. She didn't want him to be in distress. The bonds between the people in Chaldea, whether they be Servants or normal humans, were of paramount importance, and if anything were to sever those bonds…well, thankfully, it didn't come to that.

A thought then occurred to her. "King Hassan, I really should have brought this up sooner, but as one intimately connected with death, well, we have found phylacteries created by Voldemort. Merlin, Tamamo, and Nitocris are currently working on a ritual to deal with the Horcruxes, or at least locate the others. And while you are no Caster…"

"**_Aye. I understand thy reasoning, Da Vinci. I will go to render any assistance I can offer. And if not…then at the very least, I will have the heads of our enemies to collect_**…"

**CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there you have it. A nice bit of Harry and Mary fluff, and some thoughts from Da Vinci, to say little of King Hassan.**

**I honestly don't know when the next chapter will be out, and it really may not be for a while. I really need to untangle the mess this plot has become. This chapter was originally going to end with Astolfo meeting Charlemagne and Dumbledore, with the big reveal of the impostor's identity (not that you guys don't really know who it is), but I felt it was too much, too soon, and I didn't know what the Chaldea group was going to do about the information. I'll probably have to have someone attack Astolfo in transit. Snape and Semiramis? A Shadow Servant summoned by Karl Magnus Rex? Who knows?**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	15. Chapter 14: Attack on Astolfo

**CHAPTER 14:**

**ATTACK ON ASTOLFO**

Karl Magnus Rex strode into his headquarters, the former Potter Manor, which his Master had given to him in a fit of irony. While originally decrepit, the Caster who fell into his employ had spruced it up, making it his territory, as Karl was currently working on gathering enough energy to summon his Noble Phantasm, the flying fortress Carolus Patricius. While his Master had offered to supply mana siphoned from as many people as possible, Karl had enough principles to deny this unrighteous act. Still, he was almost ready, and not a moment too soon. His shadow had already summoned his (albeit smaller) fortress, and Semiramis, whose loyalties, along with those of her Master, were uncertain, was about to finish her own.

The Caster he was intending to meet was a Masterless one, sustained only through the energy provided by the Grails created by the Demon Pillars. However, while he did not share his dreams directly, being a mostly dispassionate man who preferred numbers and equations to people, he did enjoy orderly systems, and the two had, if not a true friendship, then a camaraderie. And they also despised the worst aspects of human nature with a passion, even if for differing reasons.

Karl soon found the man in his Workshop, working on marvellous devices and arcane machines, his lightly tanned face handsome but sardonic when it wasn't being smug. His hair was an unruly mess of brown, and he was dressed in a long coat. He was currently peering at a scrying crystal. Usually, he was poring over some mechanism or other, or puzzling over some equation. His habitual preoccupation didn't offend Karl overly much, as he knew the man, while a misanthrope, was also a productive one.

"Archimedes," Karl said warmly.

Archimedes turned to Karl, and nodded amiably. "Karl. How is your alleged Master?"

"I find myself tiring of him. His ember of righteousness is guttering, and I wager he'd rather it be snuffed out. Once Carolus Patricius is self-sustaining, I am giving considerable thought to dismissing him. While treachery is not an act a truly pious man should consider, a ruler of any stripe must be willing to do what is necessary. I certainly know he plots against me, behind my own back."

"Indeed," Archimedes said. "Your Master is obsessed with power for its own sake. He is most irrational. And, your obsession with piety aside, your rule will bring order, of that I have no doubt. However, Chaldea's arrival is a rather irritating variable in an already overly complex equation. What do you intend to do about them?"

"For now, they have their use. Even if they suspect the truth about my Master, especially now that my shadow has intervened, they also have the Demon Pillars to deal with, as well as Voldemort. Once we have the remaining Grail in our possession, we can bring this world in line with how it should be. We can use them to soften up the enemy."

"Hmm. A decent plan. However, there may be a problem," Archimedes said, gesturing at the scrying crystal. "Shortly before you arrived, I spotted him. Your former comrade-in-arms."

Karl peered at the pink-haired figure astride the Hippogriff, and scowled. "The comrade-in-arms of my shadow, you mean. That is not the Astolfo I knew in life, but rather, the one from the stories. Where is he headed?"

"Towards your shadow's fortress," Archimedes said. "I was planning on stopping him. Killing him, given what we learned of Chaldea from the Demon Pillars, will only ensure Chaldea can summon him once again, and they'll know something is wrong. I think capture, as long as we destroy anything Chaldea can use to track him or communicate with him or summon him back, is more logical. It may be possible that we can use him as leverage, either against Chaldea or against your shadow. Then again, you might be able to test out your Oraclization on him. It might be easier on a Servant aligned with your mythos."

Karl frowned. As much as he didn't like the thought of taking hostages, it was a reality of the world he grew up in, with them often being for political reasons. "I'll leave it to your discretion, Archimedes. But do be careful. Even the true Astolfo tended to get on my nerves at times with his behaviour, and I am sure this one would draw your ire due to his utter irrationality."

Archimedes sighed. "…I am aware of that. But considering I am at your service, I do have to tolerate some irrationality…"

* * *

Astolfo soared through the night skies on his faithful Hippogriff, not the mere magical creatures of this world, but a Phantasmal Beast, capable of slipping between dimensions, barrelling through fortresses with ease, and generally being awesome. However, despite his lofty heights, he found himself perturbed. And this was an unusual state of affairs.

Astolfo had many adjectives that could apply to him. _Cute_, for one thing, so much so that he could pass for a young woman if he wore feminine clothes…which he did virtually all the time. _Eccentric_, for another, if not downright insane, for he had no real sense of reason whatsoever, or at least he was prone to nonsensical actions and proclamations on a frequent basis. But one that applied to him most of the time was _energetic_. He was like a kid on a sugar rush, on a massive overdose of red cordial, and this was both one of his most endearing traits, and yet, especially when combined with his lack of reason, one of his most aggravating as well.

And yet, at this point in time, he was both solemn and serious. Given how rarely this was the case outside of a life or death situation, it said a lot about the situation that he was in this state. Then again, anyone with even the barest knowledge of Astolfo's history would know why. Astolfo was being sent to find his old ally and king, Charlemagne, and Chaldea didn't know whether he was friend or foe, his actions at Nurmengard not helping matters.

So preoccupied was he with his thoughts, he didn't realise someone was in the way until his Hippogriff screeched. Astolfo looked up, to find someone hanging in mid-air in front of him, a pair of gear-like devices hovering by him, perpetually spinning. There was something shifty about the guy, especially the way his eyes narrowed at him in contempt. In fact, Astolfo found him oddly familiar. "You're not going any further, Astolfo."

"Huh? Who the heck are you? How do you know my name? And why are you blocking my way?"

Suddenly, claws seemed to lash out of the very air and grab a hold of his Hippogriff, and of Astolfo. "I know enough about you to how to counter your beast's Dimensional Shift." He then held out what looked like an elaborate spiral around a disc of metal, which began emitting sparkles of light. "I am Caster, true name, Archimedes. And it's time for the star of reason to shine on those who have lost it. Shall I show you a perfect circle, an immaculate light?"

The world around them seemed to fade away, revealing a starscape. A Bounded Field, Astolfo realised with horror. This must be his Noble Phantasm. An eclipsed star seemed to be behind Archimedes now, with a sextet of mirrors arranged in a hexagon behind him as well. Archimedes spread his arms wide. "It's time for balance to be restored! **_KATOPTRON KATHO PHLEGON!_**"

Astolfo tried to break free as the mirrors tilted, but it was too late. Six beams of energy lanced out from the mirrors, and they all intersected on him and his Hippogriff. He screamed in pain as the heat burned at him, despite the protection of Casseur Logistille, while that damned Caster actually began _laughing_. He felt his Hippogriff screech in pain, before being dispersed, and then, he began to fall, both figuratively, and literally, the former into darkness, and the latter to gravity's embrace…

* * *

Da Vinci stared at the display in the control room as it fizzled out. While SHEBA had witnessed the Servant confronting Astolfo, it had broken up as the Caster, Archimedes, unleashed his Noble Phantasm. She scowled as she realised that Astolfo had been intercepted, and by one of the enemy, someone who had managed to stymie SHEBA. The tracking devices Astolfo carried were also gone, destroyed apparently by Archimedes.

Eventually, she reached forward and activated the tannoy. "This is Acting Director Leonardo da Vinci to all Servants present in Chaldea. If there is anyone who has any knowledge of a Caster Servant by the name of Archimedes, please contact me forthwith."

Oddly enough, her response came soon afterwards, with the door to the control room opening, revealing the forms of Nero and Altera. The former greatly resembled Arturia, but with a larger bust and wearing crimson clothes, flamboyant and revealing, the front of her skirt sheer enough to show off her legs and underwear. Her eyes were also a paler green than Arturia's, and it said a lot about how serious the situation was that they weren't twinkling.

Altera was a dark-skinned woman currently dressed in more casual clothing, with a miniskirt, a jacket, and a t-shirt with the slogan _Good or Bad Civilisation_ on it. Her short white hair framed beautiful but stoic features, her red eyes often solemn or stern. She was actually Attila the Hun…and more than that, for Attila was the remnant of an ancient alien entity that once tried to destroy the world on the behest of an even more powerful alien entity, the Umbral Star Velber.

"Nero, Altera…do you have information for me?"

"Umu, indeed we do," Nero said. "You know how both of us, along with Tamamo and a few others, have some memories of the Moon Cell?"

Da Vinci nodded. The Moon Cell was a vast alien supercomputer on the Moon in one set of timelines, particularly one where magecraft began to degrade even more than in their timelines. Nero, Tamamo and Altera were amongst a number of Servants who had memories (albeit fragmented ones) of their time there, for the Moon Cell had its own Grail War, and its own Servants, deep within a virtual reality run by the Moon Cell known as SERAPH, or Serial Phantasm. "Archimedes comes from the Moon Cell?"

"Yes," Altera said. "He was a Servant chosen as a system administrator. However, in a number of timelines, he was corrupted by Velber, choosing to ally with it, believing the end it would bring to humanity would leave behind a more palatable world to his obsession with logic and equations."

"And even after we dealt with him, another version took his place. Umu, he was frustrating, even when he wasn't working to destroy the Moon Cell," Nero pouted. "More concerned with his equations and programs than actually helping us."

"Can you remember anything about his abilities in combat?" Da Vinci asked.

"For a Caster, he was surprisingly competent. Not quick on his feet, but the devices he could summon are deadly," Nero said. "His most powerful Noble Phantasm, Katoptron Katho Phlegon, is a re-enactment of his use of mirrors during the Siege of Syracause to burn Roman ships. Umu, it hurt a _lot_. As with my Noble Phantasm Laus St Claudius, it briefly summons a Bounded Field."

"I presume from your question that he is an enemy?" Altera asked.

"Yes…and he's captured Astolfo…"

* * *

"You were rather overly rough with him," Karl observed, as Archimedes fastened the Mystic Codes onto Astolfo's battered body, ones that would prevent him from Astralizing. They were in the basement of their base, with Archimedes having returned from his sojourn.

"I am a pragmatist," Archimedes said, though his eyes flickered with anger. "He may be a weak Servant, but as a Rider, his arsenal of Noble Phantasms should not be underestimated, and in fact, he had one that protected him from the brunt of the attack. Besides…someone with as little reason as he does offends me. You may be pious, Karl, and speak overly much of love, but you balance it with reason and pragmatism. He's the sort to do things on a mere whim."

"I suggest you put your qualms and annoyances aside for now, Archimedes," Karl said. "You have destroyed any devices on his person?"

"Yes. I did so before bringing him here. I also layered as many anti-detection spells as I could manage onto him, just in case, as I used my Noble Phantasm. I cannot guarantee that I have successfully prevented Chaldea from learning his current location, but I daresay I have minimised the likelihood of that happening."

"I hope you are correct, Archimedes," Karl said. "Still…time to see if my Oraclization will work on him. And if that's the case…well, I believe we have someone we can use to sow discord amongst the enemy…"

**CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Okay, so, I said that this chapter would be a while coming, because I needed to untangle the plot, and find a way to prevent Astolfo from stumbling across the truth too early. But then, I realised that there was a Servant whom I hadn't used yet, one who could easily be part of Karl's faction, and who hasn't made an appearance in ****_Fate/Grand Order_**** yet: Archimedes. True, he'd probably be with Hermione for a Master, but I'd already given her Chiron, and having him as a Masterless Servant under Karl actually worked out. Plus, his Noble Phantasm in the ****_Fate/Extella_**** games is awesome, especially when paired with the Noble Phantasm track for ****_Fate/Extella Link_****.**

**I still need to figure out where to go next, though, so this will definitely be the last chapter for a little while. Hope you enjoyed this unexpected twist, one that I hadn't even considered myself.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	16. Chapter 15: Disquiet

**CHAPTER 15:**

**DISQUIET**

Well, that's all he needed on top of an existential crisis, Harry thought as Da Vinci relayed the news to him and the others early the next morning. Astolfo had been attacked and captured by the enemy, or at least an enemy faction. And while it was a Servant a few of the Chaldea Servants were familiar with, it still didn't bode at all well.

"_Keep in mind, Astolfo was __**intercepted**__ while en route to meet with Charlemagne_," Da Vinci said. "_Not only was he spotted by the enemy, but they attacked him while he was on his way there. That actually suggests something._"

Arturia nodded. "It means one of three things. Firstly, Archimedes is Charlemagne's ally. Secondly, Archimedes is working for a rival enemy faction. Thirdly, Charlemagne may not actually be our enemy, and Archimedes was sent to prevent Astolfo from getting proof."

"_It could even be two of the above_," Da Vinci said. "_Nero and Altera did not retain all their memories of their adventures in the Moon Cell, but they remembered one vital thing when I brought up Charlemagne with them. There are actually __**two**__ versions of Charlemagne, belonging to two different classes, at least in the Moon Cell, and while that doesn't guarantee they have a place on the Throne of Heroes, it still makes it a strong possibility._"

This provoked little surprise from those present. Arturia herself could be summoned as a Saber or a Lancer Servant, both having alternate forms tainted by curses from the Grail. Her Saber Alter form was fought in the original Singularity centred around Fuyuki during the Fifth Holy Grail War (and another iteration of that form helped them in Shinjuku, along with Jeanne d'Arc's own Alter form), while her Lancer Alter form was their final opponent during the Singularity in Victorian London. That was also, of course, without going into the Lancer form who became Goddess Rhongomyniad in the Camelot Singularity. Arturia could even be summoned under other classes, as could Mordred.

It was Ritsuka who asked the million QP question on their minds. "Which classes?"

"_The one Astolfo recognised is a Saber Servant, based on the literary version of Charlemagne from the Matter of France_," Da Vinci said. "_He was the one who fought alongside Nero, Altera and Tamamo against his Ruler counterpart, Karl Magnus Rex, who is closer to the historical Charlemagne. The Ruler version of Charlemagne was a ruthless utilitarian who wished to impose his will over the entire Moon Cell. His motives were reasonable, but his actions were to try and brainwash those in his way. Whether Karl Magnus Rex is present on this world is still up to conjecture, but if he is present, he will definitely be formidable. Which begs the question, why did Charlemagne break Grindlewald out of Nurmengard?_"

"One possibility is an obvious one," Asako said, crossing her arms. "If the Headmaster in Hogwarts isn't Dumbledore, then it's possible that the prisoner in Nurmengard isn't Grindlewald. In fact, there's a real possibility that they may have traded places."

"_A possibility I have considered_," Da Vinci pointed out. "_But without evidence, it's a dangerous supposition._"

Harry, meanwhile, was gaping in shock. "Wait, wait, wait…did you say that you think Grindlewald and Dumbledore have swapped places?"

"_It's only a hypothesis, and we can't be sure_," Da Vinci said. "_For all we know, your Headmaster has actually been a Demon Pillar for some time, for example, or someone else has taken his place. Dumbledore has no shortage of enemies. However, it's a hypothesis we cannot discount._"

Ritsuka frowned. "Okay, so who is Grindlewald? Harry?"

"I don't know much about him," Harry confessed. "The first time I heard of him was when I found Dumbledore's Chocolate Frog card back in my first year. Most of what I know is that he was a Dark Lord whom Dumbledore defeated in 1945. I heard a few other things here and there, like how apparently Newt Scamander helped capture him in New York in the Twenties before he escaped some time later, and that he's imprisoned in Nurmengard after Dumbledore defeated him. But that's about it."

Da Vinci shook her head, tutting. "_Harry, your education is rather lacking. Then again, given that the history classes in Hogwarts are taught by a ghost who is obsessed with Goblin revolutions, I shouldn't be surprised. Okay, well, thanks to Sirius, Remus, and some of the others, I can fill in more of the gaps. It's not well known, but Dumbledore and Grindlewald knew each other from a young age. They had something of a falling out that calcified with the death of Dumbledore's sister, Ariana, though details are a bit hazy. Years later, in the 1920s, Grindlewald began amassing followers. The New York incident involving Newt Scamander was actually partly due to Grindlewald grooming a young wizard called Credence Barebone. Credence was an Obscurial, due to the abuse he suffered under his adopted mother._"

"What's an Obscurial?" Mordred asked.

"_The magic of this universe, under certain circumstances, can become a self-destructive parasite_," Da Vinci explained. "_It usually happens to children who are abused, so much that they come to loathe their own magic, even if only unconsciously. You're fortunate that you didn't end up that way, Harry, though Obscurials are actually quite rare. What happened in New York is a long story, and most of it was covered up, and what happened between that incident and World War II is still pretty obscure. What IS known is that Grindlewald worked alongside the Nazis during the Second World War, though he was considerably more utilitarian, intending to create a society where wizards ruled over mundanes, For The Greater Good, as he called it. He even put it as a motto at Nurmengard, his own base and prison fortress at the time, rather perversely like the Nazis putting 'Arbeit Macht Frei' over the gates to Auschwitz-Birkenau._"

"Work makes one free," Arturia translated with a scowl. Let it be said that few Servants, when they had knowledge of the history of the 20th Century, were at all pleased with the Holocaust.

"_And like the Nazis, Grindlewald perverted a famous ancient symbol of good fortune into something hated and reviled. For the Nazis, it was the swastika, once a sign of good luck, now feared and reviled. For Grindlewald, it was the symbol of the Deathly Hallows, a symbol that sprung up after the Peverells stole them from King Hassan._" She projected a distinct symbol, a bisected circle within a triangle.

"The Great Founder would be displeased," Cursed Arm said with considerable understatement. While the first Hassan-i Sabbah was seldom pleased anyway, his wrath, while hard to kindle, was a frightening thing. The other two Assassins present nodded.

"So, supposedly, Dumbledore kicked Grindlewald's arse and shoved him into his own prison fortress?" Mordred asked. "Or, if your hypothesis is right, Grindlewald pulled a switcheroo?"

"_I have Sherlock and Moriarty looking over a behavioural analysis of Dumbledore, just in case the switch was done later. Dumbledore had made a number of visits to Nurmengard between 1945 and the Nineties, giving enough opportunities for a switch to be done after 1945_," Da Vinci said. "_However, if it is Grindlewald impersonating Dumbledore, he has amassed a lot of power. He is Headmaster of Hogwarts, Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Supreme Mugwump of the ICW. Admittedly, he has recently been dumped from the second position, according to Sirius, and his hold on the Supreme Mugwump position is looking tenuous. But think about it. He basically has powers similar to the Speaker in British Parliament, as well as the Secretary-General of the UN. Back home, while he wouldn't be at the level of, say, Zelretch or Lorelei Barthomeloi, he'd definitely be at a high level, probably one of their immediate subordinates. The same goes for if Dumbledore has been supplanted by someone else. For all we know, as I pointed out, Dumbledore is currently the meatsuit for a Demon Pillar._"

"All of which means that Dumbledore, or at least the one in Hogwarts, is our enemy in all likelihood," Mary stated.

"We have more than one," Cursed Arm pointed out. "Voldemort, this Umbridge woman, and whoever is behind Archimedes and Hessian Lobo are also our adversaries, to say nothing of the Demon Pillars. We just don't know who is allied with who, if there are any alliances, to say nothing of any unknown Servants."

Arturia nodded. "There are many on the Throne of Heroes, and many we ourselves have encountered, but not in our work for Chaldea, to say nothing of Servants we have encountered before, and who have attacked again, like Hessian Lobo. Archimedes, the two Charlemagnes, and you encountered Semiramis in Romania, Mordred."

"Wouldn't be surprised if that bitch turned up," Mordred muttered. "You've gotta be careful facing that skank on her home turf. She's closer to a Caster than an Assassin, and she can turn everything in her throne room into poison. Good thing my Master had an antidote ready, but still…being poisoned by Hydra venom is not fun. I'm sure Chiron or Heracles would agree with me. I mean, they died of that shit, didn't they?"

"Your mind is keener than your words often suggest, Mordred," Asako said. "But we don't know whether Semiramis is present on this world. The only known enemy Servants are Archimedes and Hessian Lobo. All else is mere speculation. That being said, I would like to suggest a pre-emptive measure."

"_What do you mean?_" Da Vinci asked.

"Many of Voldemort's supporters are still incarcerated in Azkaban. Once Voldemort feels like his position is consolidated enough, he will free his supporters from Azkaban. I propose that we head there and systematically kill any of his supporters there before he does so."

"So…what, we get Father to use Excalibur on the place?" Mordred asked.

"Mordred, I will not!" Arturia snapped. "Leaving aside that such an act is dishonourable, keep in mind that not all inmates of Azkaban will be Voldemort's followers!"

Da Vinci nodded. "_Gudao has heard some whispers on the grapevine that there's at least one political prisoner there. Not sentenced to the high security sections of the prison, but Fudge, or at least Umbridge acting with his authority but not his knowledge, has been rumoured to ship off a couple of undesirables there. However, I understand that you feel uncomfortable with killing prisoners in general, Arturia._"

"I do. Do not misunderstand me. If they are unrepentant serial rapists and murderers who delight in inflicting misery and pain upon others, they deserve death, if not torment at the…hands? Of the Dementors, and I also understand the necessity. But this sort of cold pragmatism…it feels too much like that of my first Master, Kiritsugu Emiya," Arturia explained. "I will gladly kill in open combat, and I would carry out the execution of a prisoner I have condemned, but still…"

"_Don't worry, we'll do our homework before we attack them, and we'll send someone else, Arturia_," Da Vinci said. "_We may need someone capable of reading minds, given that Sirius, at least, was innocent when he was sent to Azkaban. That being said, Dementors can potentially prove a problem to Servants. Their aura induces depression and even flashbacks of the worst memories a person possesses, and what's more, should they be able to subdue a Servant, they could potentially devour their soul. We don't know whether that will actually happen to a Servant, but it's still something to consider, especially as that may render a Servant unable to be summoned again by the FATE system. In addition, many Servants will have bad memories that may debilitate them in the presence of a Dementor, so it's something to consider. Of course, we could always try infiltration, but according to Sirius, Dementors have a crude means of sensing thoughts and emotions, so they may be able to see through a disguise. They didn't see through his Animagus transformation, but that was due to the psyche of an animal being different to a human's._"

"Going back to the previous issue, I think we should send another Rider to Charlemagne to find out what's going on," Arturia said. "Preferably a more powerful one than Astolfo, and one who should be able to overpower Archimedes. Drake? Quetzlcoatl? And given Ishtar's usage of the Maanna Boat of Heaven, she's a possibility, even if she is not technically a Rider."

"_And with Blackbeard as a potential diversion_," Da Vinci suggested. It was semi-facetious, but Blackbeard's obnoxious attitude rubbed most the wrong way. Hell, the only reason Harry tolerated the scruffy pirate was because the two, along with Oda Nobunaga, had bonded over a mutual love of pranks. But Harry also accepted that, due to his obnoxious behaviour, he was often used as a decoy in dangerous situations. Anne Bonney and Mary Read, particularly, relished this use of Blackbeard.

It said a lot about how this was frequent practise that even the chivalrous Arturia, who normally wouldn't use a decoy in such an unchivalrous manner, merely nodded at the suggestion, a slight smile playing at her lips. Then again, this was the very idiotic pirate who had tempted Circe's wrath by calling her a 'Granny Loli', for being centuries old, and yet looking like a young teenager. Then again, Blackbeard apparently was genuinely fond of children, and not as a paedophile either, so he had that going for him if nothing else. And he was actually a brilliant cook(1).

Their thoughts were interrupted when they suddenly heard a terrible and familiar sound. The eldritch howling of a wolf. And not just any wolf. Harry and the others heard the sounds of screams outside.

Mordred went over to the window and glared outside. "The damn Hessian Lobo's back!" she snarled. "It's attacking the people! Father!"

Arturia nodded, even as Mordred wrenched open the window and leapt through it. Arturia soon followed. The three Assassins looked at Harry and Ritsuka. "Cursed Arm, help them," Ritsuka said. "Asako, begin using your other bodies to help protect any civilians as well as assisting Mary with protecting us."

The three Assassins nodded. Still, Harry thought, there was something worrying about this. Why was the Hessian Lobo attacking in broad daylight?

And then, they heard a familiar, and unpleasantly so, voice yell a command in the distance after laughing. "Right! While they're running around like headless chickens, capture as many as you can! _Sbrigati!_"

Harry, Mary, Asako, Ritsuka and Cursed Arm's gazes all met. Da Vinci's eyes widened. "_Is that who I think it is?_"

"…He never arrived through the FATE system," Ritsuka said. "Some of the others did, like Moriarty or Penthesilea, but others… this won't end well…"

* * *

They soon rushed outside to find Mordred confronting another man in the street, burly, with a silvery beard, dressed in a naval outfit. "Ah…so the bastards from Chaldea are here? I get to pay you back for humiliating me."

Harry and Ritsuka, along with the Servants, glared in unison at the viciously grinning Servant. Harry remembered this bearded bastard during their sojourn into the Agartha Pseudo-Singularity, in an underground realm beneath Asia, where men were enslaved by the rulers of the all-female societies there, created by the androphobic and thanatophobic Scheherazade. This man claimed to have no memory of his true self, calling himself the Rider of the Resistance for the time being.

But he soon showed his true colours. After regaining his memory and putting an end to the realms of El Dorado, the Nightless City, and Ys, he announced his intentions of enslaving the remaining populace. In that, he was echoing what he did in life to the natives of the lands he explored, all but wiping out the Arawaks through slavery or murder, as well as the claims he was a brutal ruler of Hispaniola towards even the Spanish colonists.

Already, aside from the dubious allegiances of Archimedes and Charlemagne, they had Hessian Lobo to deal with. But now, they had to deal with Christopher Columbus as well…

**CHAPTER 15 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well…that just happened. I'd intended for Hessian Lobo to make another attack, specifically to Hogsmeade, partway through writing this chapter. However, I realised I was lacking Servants to serve as antagonists for Voldemort's camp. So the inclusion of Rider of Resistance, aka Christopher Columbus, was actually something I thought of on the fly. And having just completed the next chapter on top of that, which is being kept aside for my December mass update, Voldemort's Servant will be revealed. I hadn't thought of whom he would have until I was halfway through the next chapter…but it's an obvious choice. I'm sure many of you can make a reasonable guess.**

**Since writing the previous chapter, I not only finished the Solomon singularity (brilliant ending to the game, and if they left it at that, it would have been fine), but Shinjuku as well. I'm also almost finished with Agartha (I am literally on the last chapter as of writing this annotation). Now, the Pseudo-Singularities' writing is a bit lightweight so far, but while Shinjuku was enjoyable enough (Moriarty's plan was intriguing, and the cameo by Father Brown and other detectives at the end was nice), Agartha…well, it seems overly misogynistic. **

**I understand, having read ahead, why that is the case: the Pseudo-Singularity was partly conceived by Scheherazade, who is strongly hinted to be androphobic on top of her thanatophobia (and I actually have quite a bit of sympathy for the latter at least), but still, a lot of what happened in it made me cringe. It's like those fantasy and science fiction cliché worlds where there is a ridiculously OTT misandristic matriarchal society (thank goodness ****_Doctor Who_**** never actually got around to making similar stories like ****_Prison in Space_**** or ****_Mission to Magnus_**** for TV, especially the former, which sounded rather, well, let's just say of its time and move on, though the Drahvins of ****_Galaxy 4_**** get close, and a few televised stories toe the line). There's a lot of wasted potential there too, especially with, well, pretty much every character save for Wu Zetian. Penthesilea deserves some complex characterisation, as did Scheherazade, and Dahut could have been more interesting as a darker form of Drake. But in terms of story, it seems to be the most disappointing Pseudo-Singularity so far.**

**Sorry about the above rant. Also, for those of you curious as to which Pseudo-Singularity Servants have made their way to Chaldea, the only ones I have definitely decided on are Moriarty, Yan Qing, Penthesilea (who has calmed down enough that hearing or seeing Achilles is only going to piss her off instead of having her charge off after him in a blind fury, so Ron's Servant is safe for now) and Scheherazade. I'd also like to believe that, in broad terms at least, events in Agartha happened closer to those that GhostXavier wrote for ****_The Lost Shards_****, their sidestory compilation to ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****, as Scheherazade is more sympathetic from the beginning, though some events, like meeting Penthesilea, are closer to the game canon, and Quetzlcoatl was absent. Any Servants from Shimosa or Salem are still pending, though I do want Abigail, Circe and the Queen of Sheba there.**

**Review-answering time! ****Acolyte of the Blood Moon****: He is canonically brainwashed, well, Oraclized, in ****_Fate/Extella Link_****. In fact, he enjoyed it, as he encourages the others to get Oraclized too.**

**1\. One of my favourite chapters of ****_Fragments of Chaldea_****, 'Heated Competition', has Blackbeard participating in a curry cookoff, and doing quite well. This is Fragment 18 of that work, for those of you who are curious. **


	17. Chapter 16: Battle in Hogsmeade

**CHAPTER 16:**

**BATTLE IN HOGSMEADE**

Arturia grimaced as she dodged around the Hessian Lobo, slashing into its side with Excalibur. She had fought the Avenger alongside her Alter self in Shinjuku, as well as the Alter of Jeanne d'Arc. For all their darkness, that they fought on the side of justice was heartening. And wasn't that interesting, in the cursed sense of the term, to be able to speak to one's own inner darkness embodied?

Arturia's Alter self was brusque, cold and ruthless, but she also cared in her own way. Cavall II was proof enough of that. And Jeanne's Alter self, while foul-mouthed and brutally aggressive, had changed since their initial encounter in Orleans, becoming more introspective and philosophical, despite herself.

She dearly wished those two were with her now.

As she leapt over the Hessian Lobo, Excalibur knocking away one of the scythe-like swords the headless rider was wielding, she chanced a glance back where she came. She had seen Columbus arrive, and ordered Mordred to intercept him. She remembered how, like Moriarty, Columbus had used his amnesia as an excuse to worm his way into their trust, only, unlike Moriarty, Columbus showed no remorse or regret for manipulating and betraying them.

She also saw men in black robes and skull masks rushing around, abducting the civilians. Death Eaters, she realised, given Harry's descriptions. She needed to help, but…

Suddenly, rapid gunfire decimated the Death Eaters in the street, as did a swarm of missiles. Sliding along on the street, propelled by a rocket built into a massive coffin-like gun, was a welcome sight, as the Hessian Lobo whirled to face the attacker, only to get a gun muzzle in its…well, muzzle. Its deranged, baleful eyes widened in recognition at the dapper, dandyish features of the suspicious middle-aged man shoving a massive, coffin-shaped gun into its face.

"Play dead, boy," growled Moriarty. "**_THE DYNAMICS OF AN ASTEROID!_**"

The ground beneath Moriarty's feet suddenly cratered and fissured, the cracks glowing with brilliant blue light. A massive jet of azure energy blasted into the Hessian Lobo's face, sending the massive wolf and its passenger flying into the air. Arturia grimaced as the Avenger crashed to the ground, its head smoking and charred, but still alive. "Archer," Arturia greeted.

"Saber," Moriarty returned the greeting with a nod, using their class names in case an enemy overheard. "Forgive me for butting in on your fight, but I was doing reconnaissance with the Detective, and while he's been helping the civilians, I thought I'd lend a hand, and I doubt our old chums there care about chivalry and all that rot. I held back to avoid collateral damage, so I doubt that killed our old acquaintances."

Arturia nodded. While she didn't trust Moriarty per se, after Shinjuku, he had shown his, if not loyalty, then willingness to follow Chaldea's lead. He at least admitted he did so purely for the intellectual challenge of helping keep the world safe. "I thank you, but we still have trouble. He's not the only Servant here."

"So I see," Moriarty said, looking over to where Columbus was confronting the others. "A certain Genovese gentleman has made a reappearance, it seems."

"So it seems," Sherlock Holmes said, who came up alongside them. "Da Vinci is sending reinforcements, but the closest to the deployment room was…"

As the Hessian Lobo began stalking towards them, growling, its face mostly burnt off, a flare of light appeared in front of them, before fading to reveal a familiar diminutive form in a black militaristic uniform. She had long dark hair snaking out from beneath a cap, and crimson eyes staring from a cute face currently set in a vicious grin. "BWAHAHAHA! Behold, I am here! And I have a long memory, mutt! I remember that time you ruined my favourite cap in Shinjuku!"

"…Demon King, less dramatics and more damage, would you kindly? And keep collateral damage to a minimum," Moriarty said.

The teenaged form of the infamous Japanese warlord Oda Nobunaga pouted. "Spoilsport old man. As if you haven't enjoyed hamming it up. Well, here goes…" Crimson energy purled around her, and she rose into the air. "The Three Thousand Worlds shall see your corpse," she intoned, before a bunch of old style matchlock rifles appeared, aiming at the Hessian Lobo. "The Demon King descends! **_BEHOLD HER THREE LINE FORMATION ATTACK!_**"

The rifles went off, and smashed into the Hessian Lobo, the bolts of energy biting deep into its flesh. "Detective," Moriarty said, "Has anyone been sent to back the others up against Columbus?"

"Indeed. Our resident Demon King was having a nice chat outside the Deployment Room with a certain deity…"

* * *

Mary stayed close to Ristuka and Harry as Mordred clashed with Columbus, the burly, bearded proto-Conquistador keeping her at bay with a massive anchor. "Youth and energy will always fall to experience and treachery, _mocciosa_," Columbus sneered.

"You're just a pirate who got lucky," Mordred retorted. "Besides, I don't see you being backed up by Heracles on steroids this time. Just a rabid mutt."

"You know nothing about my employers, _mocciosa_. Ah, my Master has given me free reign to do as I please when he lets me weigh anchor." His grotesque grin became even more so. "Of course, you can't beat me as soundly as last time, as you don't have as much backup, what with them rescuing the sheep. I haven't had this much fun since I found the New World in the first place!"

"Oh? It's a shame I never met you, Christopher Columbus the Conquistador _cabron_. Mordred, dear, would you mind if I butt in? I have something of a score to settle with this man."

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the lilting voice come from behind them, of a woman he had become familiar with during his first full mission for Chaldea, to Babylonia. Tall, muscular, with a messy mane of blonde hair framing an utterly beautiful face, and her eyes were a glinting emerald. Her clothes were not unlike those of the Mesoamerican cultures like the Aztecs. But her expression, while superficially cheerful, held an edge to it it normally didn't have, being usually more genuinely cheerful. And the way she gripped her weapon, a wooden sword with obsidian embedded in it known as a macuahuitl by the Aztecs, suggested that she didn't like Columbus.

Mordred broke off from Columbus. "Hey, if you're okay with taking out the trash, Rider, I'll play along."

Columbus, meanwhile, was peering at the newcomer with confusion. "Have we met? You dress like a native of the New World, but you look like a white man. Er, woman."

"Oh, sorry, I took this form because I'm associated with Venus, and it wasn't too dissimilar from a time when I was a king, despite being a woman, yes?" the newcomer said with a friendly smile that Harry knew was fake as hell. "Allow me to introduce myself, Christopher Columbus. My name is Quetzlcoatl. Thanks to you, or rather, those who followed in your footsteps, my people were decimated." Suddenly, her smile became vicious, even more frightening than Columbus' previous deranged rictus. It was probably the large amount of sharp, theropod-like teeth filling it, along with the vicious glare in her now hooded eyes. "Now that introductions are over, it's time for you to die, yes?"

With lightning speed, she leapt at Columbus, who brought the anchor up to shield himself. The macuahuitl crackled with golden light, like lightning, and with a sound that put Harry in mind of a chainsaw made of lightning, the anchor was sliced into. Not all the way through, but there was a gouge through half the metal before Quetzlcoatl pulled her weapon away, and then leapt over Columbus, grabbed him around the chest, and then suplexed him.

To give the vicious explorer his due, he recovered quickly, sneering as he jumped to his feet. "If you really are Quetzlcoatl, you must have disappointed your followers when you didn't help them against Cortez and his men," he snarled as he lashed out with his sword, and then with the chain of the anchor. "Then again, it was God rather than you who gave me the divine providence to…"

He was interrupted by Quetzlcoatl, who knocked his sword away with her own weapon, before kicking him in the groin, hard. As a supersonic whine of pain escaped the now cross-eyed explorer's lips, Quetzlcoatl said, "Normally, that move would be bad form in lucha libre, but…I'm angry with you. **_Very_** angry. We went to sleep before Cortez and his ilk arrived, yes? We couldn't be there…much to my shame. But you are one who knows no shame, yes? So I will feel no shame beating you into a pulp."

Columbus merely got his anchor ready, and charged her with a roar, only for Quetzlcoatl to grab him and grin viciously again. "You loved the view from your ship, yes? You want to see a great view? Well, you need to be HIGHER!" A whirlwind blew up around them, and Columbus was hurled into the air with a girly shriek, as Quetzlcoatl was suddenly surrounded by flame that took the form of a burning bird-like form. "I am a feathered serpent, wreathed in burning flame!" she yelled, before leaping into the air and catching Columbus, before she positioned him into a piledriver. Technically an illegal move in some forms of lucha libre, but all was fair when it came to Servant battles. "_¡ADIÓS, RUDO! __**XIUHCOATL CHARTEADA!**_"

There was a small explosion as they hit the ground, and when the dust cleared, Quetzlcoatl was grinning cheerfully, putting out two of her fingers in a victory sign. Columbus was buried headfirst halfway into the ground in a small crater, his legs twitching. "_¡Gane!_" the cheerful Aztec deity chirped with a sunny smile.

Harry sighed in fond exasperation. Quetzlcoatl was one of the Three Goddess Alliance arranged against Uruk, but despite her apparently malign intentions, she was actually the best of the three, with the men she apparently killed or abducted merely conscripted into her service, looking to take possession of the Grail to protect humanity from the other goddesses. Then again, Ereshkigal was able to be persuaded to discontinue her side of the alliance. But the entity claiming to be Tiamat, but was really Medusa's Gorgon form acting as Tiamat and Kingu's proxy, was vicious to the end. It took the young Medusa, going by the name of Ana, sacrificing herself to stop her monstrous self.

Quetzlcoatl was one of those cheerful people that loved almost everyone, albeit with a few exceptions. The first was the Jaguar Warrior, a rival deity that took the form of a Japanese woman called Taiga Fujimura, someone known to EMIYA in life. The second was Merlin, due to the Magus of Flowers' manipulations causing Quetzlcoatl to be depowered and harmed.

She also had an obsession with lucha libre, of all things. It came from being summoned in another Grail War prior to Chaldea encountering her in Babylonia, one in modern times, and she fell in love with the wrestling sport that was so beloved in her native Mexico. So much so, in fact, that it affected her original form both as a deity, and as a Heroic Spirit on the Throne of Heroes.

After learning about Harry's past when she was summoned by Chaldea shortly after that saga, they became…well, it was hard to call them friends per se. It was more like Quetzlcoatl wanted to become his big sister, and while he didn't become as close to her as she would have liked, the two were on friendly terms. She was just a bit too boisterous and loud for his liking. Then again, so was Nero, and she also had an ego the size of the Earth. He'd grown closer more to Arturia and Mordred, along with the Hassans, as he had gotten to know them during the Camelot Singularity.

Still, he viewed her as a good ally, and he returned her smile. Though it turned to a scowl when he noticed Columbus disappearing. "He must have Astralized, and retreated back to his Master," Ritsuka observed with a scowl of her own.

The Hessian Lobo eventually did the same thing, and all around, there were cracking noises as the Death Eaters who survived and were still conscious retreated. "That slaver bastard and that rabid mutt are working with the Death Eaters," Mordred spat contemptuously.

Asako appeared next to them, her mask removed. "Harry, Ritsuka," she said quietly. "I had as many of my bodies keep their masks off while rescuing the civilians, to avoid being mistaken for Death Eaters. However, about a dozen were captured, and half as many killed. A number are injured. The authorities will be here soon. What do we do?"

"Hope either Madam Bones or Shacklebolt is in charge of the welcoming party," Harry said. "And the last thing we need is…"

"_Hem, hem._"

Harry groaned inwardly. _Fuck my life_, he thought to himself. Out loud, he said, "One, I don't have any Strepsils with me. Two, a 'you're welcome' would be nice. Three, what are you actually doing here?"

Umbridge, behind them, said, "I came to see what the fuss was. I think, once the Aurors come here, you have a lot of explaining to do…"

* * *

Voldemort pinched the bridge of his virtually non-existent nose as his minions left the room, some being dragged out, unconscious or dead. A probing action to try and gauge the strength of the Chaldean forces, as well as any other enemy Servants, had ended in failure. Chaldea had sent in reinforcements, and while a number of captives had been taken, too many of his forces were dead or captured themselves, especially as he was yet to break out his big guns.

He'd been forced to call the retreat when Malfoy, through the eyes of that repulsive Rider, had seen Chaldea's forces firsthand. Ditto Alectus and Amycus Carrow, who controlled the wolf…though control was a laughable term when it came to that vicious beast. But it wasn't a total loss. Columbus and the Hessian Lobo had recognised the Servants, having encountered them before. Then again, the Hessian Lobo was unable to communicate this properly to the Carrows. It was a goddamned wolf with a headless rider mounted on it, for Merlin's sake!

Thankfully, a Pensieve could be used by the Carrows to retrieve their memories, and be reviewed by the more coherent Servants. Apparently Potter was in disguise, according to Severus. He had to admit, what he learned from Columbus made the gathering of heroes Chaldea had brought impressive. Merlin, Atalanta, Medea, Medusa, Jack the Ripper…and during that raid, there was the likes of Arthur, Mordred (why were they girls?), Assassins from the infamous sect, and, well, witnessing the likes of James Moriarty fighting alongside Sherlock Holmes and Oda Nobunaga (another girl?!) was interesting. If bemusing.

Voldemort rose, and left for a basement in his base. Not Malfoy Manor, that would be too obvious. Rookwood's old domicile. The captives were brought here for a higher purpose than mere rape and hostage-taking. His Servant was powerful indeed, especially thanks to his mana supply, but in order to boost her power so that she would be unstoppable, well, sacrifices needed to be made.

He halted outside the door when he heard sobbing from the captives, and one say, "…Please don't. I have a wife, children, and…"

"I care little," said a cold, female voice, it having a disconcerting echo to it. "You are but worms to me."

"Monster!" another voice protested angrily.

"But of course I am. But more than that. I am a god. A fallen god, true, but a god all the same. You are all here for me to do as I wish, and I wish to devour your very essences. Now, it is time to curse you all, as you all cursed me." The sound of something wet and slithery sounded from behind the door, and the voice became louder, an eldritch speech that seemed to echo within reality itself. "_You shall melt down within my sealed demonic temple. __**PANDAEMONIUM CETUS!**_"

Crimson light, flecked with black, flared briefly beneath the door, and the screams of those within swiftly changed to wet gurgles, before all that was left was the unearthly screeching noise of the attack. And that too soon died away into echoes. Then, after a pause, he heard from behind the door a chuckle. "You may enter, Voldemort. I have finished my meal."

Voldemort did so, entering what had been Rookwood's experimental sacrificial altar, used to research blood magic and the like. He would never admit it to anyone below his station, but the sight of his Servant struck fear into him, though given her power, that was not unreasonable. However, he also felt other things. Awe, for one. Uncommon stirrings of lust for another, though this was only partially because of her figure. Her breasts were rather overly large, verging on ridiculous, but the rest of her was utterly and inhumanly beautiful.

Much of her appeared to be a woman of indeterminate but young age, with long violet hair framing beautiful features, eyes of the same colour with rectangular pupils peering at him, a cruelly satisfied smirk on her lips. What little of her body that was covered was by pure white drapes, like the robes of an angel. But she was far from human or heavenly. Snake heads seemed to form out of the end of her long tresses, her arms and legs were scaled and reptilian with claws, a snake's tail grew from her derriere (on which she was supported), and a pair of wings grew from her shoulders.

"It seems that your little probing attack against Hogsmeade ended in failure," the Servant mused. "But were you correct?"

"We didn't expect Chaldea to react so swiftly," Voldemort said, scowling. "They must have had people in Hogsmeade. Potter was in disguise again."

"He's been declared dead, it's hardly surprising," the Servant said. "I wish to review any Pensieve memories you have of the attack from your thralls. Any Servants you haven't identified yet, I may be able to do so. We will have to get Severus' Assassin to review the memories as well, just in case."

"Columbus, before he went scampering off, identified the Servant who beat him as Quetzlcoatl."

Something dangerous flashed in his Servant's eyes. "…Ah, that treacherous, human-loving, wrestling-obsessed **_whore_**. Well…we must redouble our efforts to raise my power, Voldemort. The more humans I consume using Pandaemonium Cetus, the more my reserves of power grow, along with my strength. We have been doing this to ensure that our victory over Dumbledore is absolute, to say nothing of the Demon Pillars, before we take control of this miserable little island, and then the world. I am no longer the puppet of a deity who used me as a meatshield. Tiamat can go rot, for all I care. That is twice I have been used and abused by the gods. There will not be a third time. Chaldea's Servants and their Masters are troublesome opponents, and I refuse to underestimate them. But they will rue the day they humiliated me. I, the Gorgon, will melt down their very essence and sup on it until I am sated…"

**CHAPTER 16 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Well, that just happened. I hope you enjoyed the fight scenes (Quetzlcoatl and Oda Nobunaga are fun to write, and Moriarty being a badass Big Damn Hero….err, Villain Protagonist was also enjoyable to write), and the big reveal…which I literally only thought up while writing this chapter. I was struggling to find the right Servant for Voldemort, as I needed some big guns for him, but then, it hit me. It was so obvious, and serendipitously, I had only mentioned Medusa's Rider and Lancer forms being summoned by Chaldea earlier in the story, not her Avenger form. It also gives a more practical reason for people being abducted, aside from Columbus being, well, Columbus.**

**Now, I said that this chapter would be kept aside for a mass update in December, but I managed to finish the next one quickly enough so that this one could be posted.**

**Review-answering time! ****bobo77****: ****_Fragments of Chaldea_**** and its associated works informed a lot of what I did with this story, including the various characters and how the Servants interact, though it's worth pointing out that, while some events of ****_Fragments of Chaldea_**** and its associated works are canon, many Servants have been summoned far earlier or later than they were in GhostXavier's works. Arturia, for example, was summoned shortly after the Fuyuki Singularity, as opposed to between the E Pluribus Unum and Camelot Singularities in GhostXavier's works.**

**In addition, I should take this opportunity to thank GhostXavier once more for using their OCs, even if only in a limited capacity.**

**Skull Flame****: Ugh, I brought up the Hallows being stolen from King Hassan all the way back in the second chapter. King Hassan butts in on a briefing between Harry, Mary and Da Vinci and brings the matter up. And no, you didn't read that right. I mentioned that Chaldea has Penthesilea and Scheherazade, not that they will appear. I'm not ruling out them appearing later on in the fic, but I have no plans to include them yet.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	18. Chapter 17: Fallout

**CHAPTER 17:**

**FALLOUT**

Thankfully, once the Aurors arrived, Bones, Shacklebolt and Tonks were all present, and instead of the Aurors taking them to a holding cell at the Ministry, as threatened by Umbridge, they reconvened in the Hog's Head, in a larger room, with many of the Servants Astralizing. There, Da Vinci, via linkup, explained the situation more to Bones and Umbridge, or at least as much as they dared. They didn't bring up the possibility of Dumbledore being an impostor for now, or Harry's true identity, or that of some of the Servants like Moriarty or the Assassins, but they mentioned the Demon Pillars, Servants, and Chaldea's mission.

Unfortunately, Umbridge didn't seem to believe them, or at least that Chaldea's intentions were benign. She couldn't deny the existence of the Servants. She began accusing them of being in cahoots with Dumbledore in faking the resurgence of the Death Eaters by murdering many upstanding citizens.

"Purebloods, you mean," Harry sneered.

"There's no difference," the batrachian woman retorted haughtily.

"Wow, inbreeding means you're better than anyone," Mordred snarked. She herself was the product of incest. "What a wonderful concept."

"Silence!" Umbridge snapped.

"No, Madam Umbridge, _you_ will remain silent!" Bones snapped back. The monocle-wearing older woman glared impressively at the toad-like woman. "Your comments can be construed as actively interfering with an investigation."

"How dare you?! I am the Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic, and I am…"

"…NOT above the law, Madam Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister or not. If these people were engaged in kidnapping and murdering civilians in this village, then their deaths were due to self-defence or these people defending them. You have already interfered with a number of investigations into the deaths and disappearances of many other people recently. Anything further, and I will have you placed into a holding cell myself!"

"You overreach yourself, Bones!" Umbridge snapped. "Threaten me again, and I will have you replaced with someone more compliant!"

"I do not threaten, Madam Umbridge, and it is only the Minister who can replace me. That is your final warning."

An apoplectic Umbridge whipped out her wand, only for Asako to appear behind her, and knock her out with a chop to the neck. "Foolish harridan. How such a woman rose so far in your government is beyond me," the Assassin said with a grimace. "I fear I may have to wash my hands after even that brief moment of contact."

Bones nodded, and looked at Shacklebolt and Tonks. "You saw that? If Fudge objects, show him a Pensieve memory if you need to. Throw her into a holding cell, let her cool her heels for a while."

As they nodded, and took the toad-like woman away, Bones then added, peering at the Chaldean contingent, "Keep this in mind: this does not mean I trust you fully. Only that I trust you more than I trust my own Ministry at the moment. You have at least supplied information that fits what has been happening lately. I've been aware of the existence of Servants thanks to Tonks telling me about Black's little splinter group of the Order of the Phoenix. Yes, I am aware that Sirius Black is innocent, but without Pettigrew, my ability to exonerate him is limited. But you must admit that some parts of your story sound somewhat farfetched, if not downright insane. Demon Pillars once harnessed by King Solomon trying to eradicate human history, time travel and cross-dimensional travel, to say nothing of the Holy Grail knockoffs these Demon Pillars hand out to disrupt history. And then there's the fact that a number of your contingent are historical or mythological figures who are male in history, but who appear to be female."

"_Well, pardon me for wanting to try out a female body by choice_," Da Vinci pouted on the holographic image. "_Genius knows no gender, thank you very much. And I understand your scepticism. We've had a hard time explaining matters to the authorities on our own world after we dealt with Goetia. However, we have told you the truth._"

"The whole truth?"

"_There are certain details we have omitted, as this is an ongoing investigation_," Da Vinci said. "_Being a member of law enforcement yourself, you understand the necessity for omitting certain information when necessary, in case your quarry is alerted. However, we can be reasonably certain that the Death Eaters are in possession of at least two Servants if not more. In addition, we know of at least a third Servant who may or may not belong to another faction, one who has attacked and captured one of our own Servants, and we have fears of a number of others._"

"I see. Well, I will be blunt, Da Vinci. While your actions saved the lives of many civilians who will no doubt champion your cause, the truth is, the killing of a number of prominent Purebloods will have the Minister up in arms," Bones said.

Arturia frowned. "Despite being caught in the process of kidnapping and murdering innocents?"

"Yes. He receives bribes from them on a regular basis under the guise of donations, and any attempt I make to stymie that is stonewalled. But why kidnap civilians?"

"There's probably a good reason for it, or rather, a disturbing one," Holmes pointed out. "Servants usually subsist on the mana supply they gain from either their Master or a magical supply via leyline tapping. But there are other means that they can gain more power. Tantric rituals can boost their power, as can consuming bodily fluids such as blood imbued with mana. However, Servants can also directly harvest the lifeforce of people. We know of one who actually consumed hearts during one Grail War due to their Master not being a Magus. Some even have Noble Phantasms that can break down people's souls and even bodies directly into mana. Thankfully, the Servants we have on our side who have the abilities to do such a thing are not inclined to do so, but…"

"I get the picture," Bones said with a grimace. "They were possibly being kidnapped not as slaves, but as fuel for their Servants."

"It means they are more powerful and have greater reserves of mana, so from a strategic viewpoint as opposed to a moral one, it's rather superlative," Moriarty observed.

"It's horrible," Bones retorted.

"True…but we have seen worse," Ritsuka said solemnly. "Far worse. We are willing to work with the authorities of this world if need be, but dealing with the Demon Pillars take precedence. We are also working to deal with Voldemort ourselves. However, it may be that the Demon Pillars that escaped to this world may have infiltrated positions of authority. We honestly don't know if they are using someone as a proxy or even as a meatsuit."

"Regardless, while I cannot trust you completely, especially as Servants are living, breathing weapons of mass destruction, as the Muggles would put it, I will consider you allies until you give me cause to believe otherwise."

Harry, after a moment, decided to take a gamble. "Madam Bones…your Occlumency shields are good, aren't they?"

"They have to be, young man, given how I am the head of the DMLE," the older woman said archly. "Why?"

"The name I gave, Tyler, is a false one, or rather, it is one I took from one of Chaldea's staff," Harry said, before he undid the charm disguising him. Bones' eyes widened, her monocle dropping off onto its chain. "Because how would it look if I came back from the dead?"

"…I see. You didn't reveal yourself because…hmm," Bones said, her surprise mostly hidden. After a moment's thought, she said, "Who have you revealed yourself to?"

"Sirius' splinter group. Tonks knows who I am as well. But I'm a little wary of revealing myself to Dumbledore, Fudge, or anyone in authority," Harry said. "I only spoke to you because I would like to think I can trust you."

"Mad-Eye's been rubbing off on you," Bones observed approvingly. "Or at least his impostor did."

"_Madam Bones_," Da Vinci asked, "_do you believe Voldemort has come back?_"

"…I want to see it with my own two eyes before I commit to that, but I do believe that if anyone could come back from the dead, it'd be him. But convincing Fudge would be impossible. Throwing Umbridge into lock-up is going to cost me a lot of political capital, I just know it."

"We are currently looking into ways of dealing with him for good with our Casters," Holmes said. "However, the method that he has used to stay alive is a phylactery known as a Horcrux. If you know of any information or where to find such information about these things, we would appreciate it. The more we know, the better."

"I understand. If nothing else, I think we should share as much intelligence as possible," Bones said. "Very well. For now, I will cooperate with Chaldea. However, I will be keeping an eye on you all…"

* * *

The first feeling Umbridge felt upon waking up was a familiar one to her. Namely, furious self-righteous indignation. Like many toads in the wild, she tended to puff herself up to make herself look bigger and more threatening than she really was. Umbridge was considerably more dangerous than a toad, though, in that she actually had, for the most part, some brains (enough to navigate the dangerous waters of the Wizengamot and the Ministry) and a vicious cunning, and the poison she exuded was through her tongue and lips, considerably more dangerous than that of any toad.

However, when you got down to it, Umbridge was merely a bully who liked to bluster her way through things when she couldn't insinuate or ingratiate. And when she was threatened, she thought her admittedly not inconsiderable authority and more considerable viciousness would carry the day. Alas, this was a false hope.

But even as she opened her mouth to begin demanding someone release her so she could take her justified vengeance on those who had the temerity to put her there (that whore Bones would have her fortune stripped to the bare bones once she was done with her), she saw someone standing in front of the bars. Someone familiar to her. Thin, gawky, officious, with a thatch of red hair and spectacles. "Weatherby? Is that you?"

"It's _Weasley_, Madam Umbridge, Percy Weasley," the young man replied. "I'm sorry to see you like this, Senior Undersecretary."

"Never mind you being sorry, I need to be out of here!" Umbridge snapped, heading to the bars. "Weatherby, Bones has turned on me. She's allied herself…"

"…With the Chaldea Security Organisation, a group of malcontents from another world who are upsetting the natural order of things. Yes, I'm well aware, Madam Umbridge," Weatherby or whatever the fuck his name was said too calmly. "I have my sources, and I must say, it's rather appalling that Madam Bones has thrown you in here like some inebriated idiot who has drunk too much Firewhiskey."

"Yes, yes, I know all that, and I won't stand for it, Weatherby!" Umbridge said. "By the authority invested in me as the Senior Undersecretary, I order you to release me. The Aurors will be purged of these undesirables once I am out, so you don't need to worry about Bones' reaction."

"I will release you, Umbridge, but aren't you dissatisfied with being merely a Senior Undersecretary?" As she looked at Weatherby in shock, he continued, opening the cell door with a gesture, and walking inside, "Chaldea is a nuisance, but a potent one all the same. Fudge won't know what to do with them, as he is too weak. However, you have potential. Power can be yours, power beyond that of any witch, power that can ensure that you guide this country in the right direction."

His words were seductive, and if Umbridge had any true ounce of self-awareness and self-control, she would have noticed the signs of a hypnotic spell falling over her. But that, combined with words she wanted to hear, had her smiling, walking forward. "Weatherby…what are you saying?"

"I'm saying, the power to save Britain from Dumbledore and Chaldea can be yours," he said, raising a hand, and showing dark flame purling around it. "I will grant it to you." Then, suddenly, his arm lashed out, and his hand was impaled through her chest. "By the way, my name is not Weatherby. This flesh is called Percy Weasley, but you can call me…Asmodeus."

What flowed through Umbridge was like cold fire, like frozen acid. She felt something moving through her body, tendrils violating every crevasse and cranny of her being. It felt like a rape of her very soul, tearing her asunder and eating her up. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't scream, all she could do was gag and gurgle as she felt her very sense of self being corroded away, dripping away into dark oblivion…

* * *

Asmodeus, the Demon Pillar masquerading as Percy Weasley, watched as the assimilation process ended, and Umbridge convulsed, and then sagged, before a new light appeared in her eyes. "Asmodeus," Umbridge, or the thing wearing her body like a suit, greeted him.

"Murmur," Asmodeus greeted as well, removing his hand, the hole it left in both flesh and clothing soon mended. "I managed to deal with the guards. Fudge has been tricked into releasing your body, not that it was hard to."

Murmur looked down at its new body, and grimaced. "Of all the bodies to pick, you chose the ugliest one."

"We needed someone high in authority, Murmur," Asmodeus said. "Umbridge's incarceration gave us a chance. Plus, you can help feed more information to the Death Eaters indirectly this time via those fools who bribe the Minister, instead of dealing with Voldemort directly."

"True, but I wouldn't have minded giving a more young and nubile body a turn, male or female. Ugh, these new thoughts and emotions and impulses are so damned annoying. Though I'm glad I don't have to deal with those two snakes anymore. But with Chaldea having tracked us down…our signals from our brethren have ceased. Bael, Phenex, Zepar and Raum. They have died, Asmodeus. Chaldea have killed them, and now they have come for us before we were ready to enact our revenge. Indeed, our very actions in punishing Harry Potter before he ended up with Chaldea have led to him joining them in the first place."

"Then we will have to accelerate our plans, Murmur," Asmodeus said. "Even if we cannot beat Chaldea, we will ensure that we hurt them as best as we can. Our king would have wanted it that way, to cause as much pain and misery to the ones who thwarted his great plan, our great plan. Especially Harry Potter. We will bring as much death and destruction to the world he came from, and then, we will cause his demise over a prolonged period. Such is the punishment deserved by the hubris of those who overreach themselves, and challenge gods…"

**CHAPTER 17 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Asmodeus, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?**

**Now, I've finished the Agartha Pseudo-Singularity (I thank whatever deity exists that misogynistic and misandristic mess is over), and started making my way through Shimosa (yeah, I know, the official localization spelling is 'Shimousa', but they also call Arturia 'Artoria' and 'Altria', and I prefer Arturia, which was used for the anime anyway). So, I'm going to write in some things. As GhostXavier hasn't written a basic synopsis of their version of the Shimosa Pseudo-Singularity yet, I'm basically putting it down to the Fujimarus getting drawn into it via their dreams, but Harry stays in Chaldea, and only learns about things later.**

**Also, why the hell do they have Musashi solo battles in Shimosa? Or force you to use her for battles where she's at a major disadvantage? (*cough*, Tomoe Gozen, *cough*) The story is better, but the gameplay where Musashi is forced on you can go die in a fire.**

**Yes, I know I said that the next chapter would be out for the December update, but hey, I managed to finish the next one, so here you go. I won't bother saying that the next one will be out for the December update, just in case I finish another chapter.**

**Review-answering time! I'm glad the big reveal of Gorgon as Voldemort's Servant made such a splash, and in a good way. I seriously did not consider her, even when it was so obvious. I think at the time I originally wrote this, I was a bit leery of reusing Servants that had canonically appeared in previous Singularities, but as this seems to happen throughout the game anyway, I thought I'd write it in.**

**phantomace13****: He doesn't know Boudica as well, though this is because, from a substitute family POV, he's latched onto the Pendragons and Da Vinci, having met them in the Camelot Singularity and fought alongside them. This isn't to say he doesn't have a friendly relationship with Boudica, only that his relationship with the Pendragons and Da Vinci is stronger. Ditto Medea, Medusa, Atalanta (and her adopted kids) and Jeanne d'Arc. He also loves to bounce prank ideas off Oda Nobunaga.**

**orion0905****: Do you mean Voldemort remarking on Gorgon's breasts? Yeah, well, sadly, she's not the most ridiculous. Raikou and Passionlip surpass her, and the Arturia Lancers, well…I'm all for buxom women, but there's an upper limit that unfortunately the game (and some anime outside the Nasuverse) likes to hop over…**

**Jack54311****: Oh, I agree. Gorgon is actually my sole Avenger (not counting Angra Mainyu), and she's fairly useful. And I would love to see a fic where she becomes a protagonist (the nearest I have seen to that is Kithrin's ****_Harry and the Botched Cult Ritual_****, as well as Woona the Cat's pure Nasuverse story ****_The Last Master_****, where Shirou Emiya, with help from Ruler Tamamo, saves a Medusa Lancer, the ****_First Order_**** adult version rather than Babylonia's kiddy version, turned Gorgon from her madness, but she remains the same appearance).**

**Dragon Man 180****: It isn't wrong. The two of them bond over such things, as the next chapter will make clear. And Snape is well aware that the Dumbledore at Hogwarts is an impostor, he just can't really do anything about it. Basically, Snape and Semiramis intended to play (even before Chaldea arrived) a game of 'let's you and him fight', hence why they sent Charlemagne to rescue Dumbledore. They intended to betray whoever was left standing afterwards while they were exhausted, and perhaps Snape would use the Grail to revive Lily. With Chaldea, that goal has changed a little. While they will let Chaldea do the majority of battling, they won't backstab Chaldea per se. Snape wants freedom from his two masters, and to revive Lily. While he despises Harry, he will still help him, covertly, but if Harry died, he wouldn't be really shedding a tear.**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	19. Chapter 18: Reflections

**CHAPTER 18:**

**REFLECTIONS**

Achilles stared at Medea blankly. "What, Penthesilea is at Chaldea? And she wants a rematch with me?"

The former Princess of Colchis chuckled darkly as she worked in her Workshop in the Chamber of Secrets. She had time before her classes for the day. "Indeed. Be thankful that between the various Casters, we developed a special potion that helps mitigate the worst of the Madness Enhancement of Berserkers. It does not actually remove that, but rather, prevents it from overriding rational thought. While Penthesilea is still massively pissed at you, as Tyler would put it in his usual crude manner, she won't go off in a virtually unstoppable rage every time she hears your name, or sees another Greek hero…or is called beautiful. However, she still wants a rematch with you. I'm afraid you angered her substantially by calling her beautiful after you defeated her."

"Hey, I didn't mean to demean her!" Achilles protested. "Quite the opposite! I was surprised that such a worthy opponent was a beautiful woman!"

"And you can be thankful that Atalanta and I managed to explain that to her," Medea said, shooting him a look. "Your father Peleus was one of my few friends on the _Argo_, even after many turned their backs on me. Atalanta respected your father, as well as the Amazons, so she acted as a mediator. I say this because she may be amongst our reinforcements."

"Correction. I am."

Medea smirked as Achilles paled. Penthesilea had been rayshifted from Chaldea just in case shortly after the attack on Hogsmeade. She had been Astralized since Medea spoke with Achilles, with Medea and other Servants keeping an eye on her, just in case. The smouldering fires of hatred and fury still danced within Penthesilea's golden eyes, but the Berserker was calm.

Achilles turned to face her. Medea knew what he would see: Penthesilea not in her prime as a seasoned veteran and warrior queen, but as a teenager, her slender body nonetheless surprisingly muscled. Her white hair framed a still beautiful face, but her beauty was a belligerent one. A breast band, skimpy leather underwear, and a sash that was a gift from Ares completed the ensemble.

"…Penthesilea," Achilles greeted, a little nervously.

"Achilles," Penthesilea returned, her voice speaking the name as if she was saying the word 'scum' instead.

"…Would an apology suffice?" the green-haired Rider asked.

"Once we have had our rematch, and I see you at my feet, begging for forgiveness, then I will consider it," Penthesilea said. "However, we need you intact in case of a battle against our foes in this Pseudo-Singularity, so our rematch will have to wait." She turned to look at Medea. "Da Vinci only told me to come here, that a number of Servants were attacking Hogsmeade but had been repulsed. Quetzlcoatl and Nobunaga went to assist. What news of the belligerents?"

"They've retreated. It was the Hessian Lobo and Columbus," Medea said.

Suddenly, Penthesilea's sclera went dark. Not black, but rather, a dark, rich mahogany colour that contrasted with her golden eyes, making her look demonic. "…_Columbus_," she said, her voice all too calm, as was her expression. "The one who threatened me with enslavement and rape?"

"You did pretty much the same thing to the men of El Dorado, Penthesilea," Medea pointed out.

"That coward Scheherazade had brainwashed me, Medea, and you know it!" Penthesilea snapped. "She had me, Wu Zetian and Dahut playing the roles of the tyrannical women of Agartha in her little story! All because of her damned thanatophobia! And that damned Demon Pillar was helping her, strengthening her Noble Phantasm! Then again, neither Wu Zetian or Columbus were actually brainwashed. They enjoyed their roles too much, and Columbus acted as he normally would, even without his memories. I would gladly make slaves of men, true, but not to the degree I did in Agartha, not as cruelly! I would make them proud to be slaves of the Amazons! But _Columbus_…" She shot Achilles a look. "Your crime was in considering me to be merely a beautiful woman, not a worthy warrior."

"I never said…"

"But _Columbus_," Penthesilea growled, interrupting Achilles, "he saw me and my warriors as little more than cattle, livestock, playthings. Achilles, I would merely have grovelling for forgiveness, broken, battered and bloody, before I administered the killing blow. _Columbus_…I will tear out his heart, and ensure he lasts long enough for him to see me crush it, as the sole act of mercy at the climax of a brutal battle."

Medea snickered. It wasn't just the potion that had been developed. It was also some good old-fashioned therapeutic battles. She'd gotten a battle against Heracles, whom she despised for his actions towards Hippolyta, Penthesilea's older sister. The two were not friends even now, but Penthesilea had managed to vent a lot of her anger towards him, so she could reluctantly accept him as an ally.

"…Look, if it makes you feel any better, Penthesilea, I'm actually grateful that you're on our side," Achilles said. "You were one of the best fighters at Troy, you and your Amazons. As long as you're not gonna flip out on me while we're allies, well, between you, Medea, Missy and my teacher, I feel a lot better."

"You would trust me, your ardent foe?" Penthesilea asked, confused.

"Look…you're one of the strongest fighters I've ever fought, and as long as you don't want to kill me here and now, I'm fine with you being my ally. Besides…to be honest, you say you want a rematch with me? Once, I would've feared that, given your reaction to my calling you beautiful as you died. But, well…I guess I owe you that much, right?"

Penthesilea, after a moment, said, "Acceptable. And Atalanta was one of those who persuaded me of your valour. Thank her for that later. I consider her an honorary Amazon." She turned her golden gaze back to Medea, though the former Princess of Colchis noted the embers of fury and madness still smouldering away in her eyes. "Medea, what have you discovered?"

"Not as much as I would like to," Medea confessed. "There is a considerable drain on the leylines this school is situated on, but I can't pinpoint how that mana is being used. It doesn't help that this world has a different system of magic to our own. For all I know, the mana is being used for the equivalent of Bounded Fields, but it feels like too much, even given how much we know of Harry's magic and its energy efficiency."

"Yeah, I got the feeling that magic here was more versatile, but less energy efficient. It's closer to that of the Age of the Gods, our time, but…it's like it's a different flavour, you get me?" Achilles said. "I mean, I fought in a Holy Grail War in Trifas, which you'd probably know if you spoke to the others, and I know what magic feels like."

"In this world, Gaia doesn't seem to object as much to magic, or at least this form," Medea said. "Then again, considering what we learned by studying Harry, almost all of his magical power is produced directly in his body, whereas in magecraft, it's often a mixture of internally produced energy, along with that channelled from the world, hence Gaia not liking it."

"Not enough to make a substantial difference to history," Penthesilea mused. "Holmes said that history is almost entirely the same, and only the history of the magical world, the one hidden from mundane eyes, differs in any substantial way. Similar stories exist, with Harry recognising the likes of Holmes and Moriarty. Then again, the Throne of Heroes exists outside of space and time, so we Servants may be based on the myths and histories of so many timelines merged together. And we are also merely aspects of our true selves." On seeing Achilles' incredulous look, her eyes narrowed. "I am Queen of the Amazons. Strength of the mind is as valued as strength of the body in our leaders, and I have studied magic in order to find ways of countering it in battle. The rest, I have learned in dealing with the other Pseudo-Singularities."

"Still, there has to be a Holy Grail keeping this Pseudo-Singularity going. Who possesses it…well, we have a plethora of suspects," Medea said. "And now, someone has captured Astolfo…"

* * *

Mary and Harry returned to Hogwarts rather later in the day. It had been decided that Gudao, who had managed to retrieve a Horcrux from Little Hangleton, would stay in London with his assigned squad of Servants, which would include Quetzlcoatl and Oda Nobunaga now, so that the DMLE could call upon his services. They'd been notified by Da Vinci that Merlin and the Great Founder had identified the Horcrux as being one of the Deathly Hallows, the name this world gave to the artifacts the Peverells took from Alamut.

Mary shuddered, even in Astralized form, at the wrath of the Great Founder. The Great Founder was known for his anger, but people forgot that it rarely waxed hot, being a cold and patient thing. People would wonder what that had to do with anything, but glaciers were cold and patient too, and could cut through mountains.

For now, the Great Founder was working with the small group of Casters Merlin had assembled to try and deal with the Horcruxes, and Voldemort, in one fell swoop. While no Caster, the Great Founder was intimately knowledgeable about death and the soul, and knew many esoteric things about such matters. In fact, there had been hints, including their time resolving the Babylonia Singularity, that he wasn't just the first Hassan-i Sabbah. He had introduced himself to Gudao in the Babylonian Underworld as Ziusudra, a man who survived a great flood, and the Sumerian equivalent of Noah in her faith, as well as that of Christianity and Judaism. Whether the Great Founder truly was Ziusudra or someone else…well, he deflected any inquiries, and if it weren't for the fear of kindling his wrath, Mary would have been irritated at his recalcitrance. She may not have been as intellectual as Hundred-Face, but she enjoyed learning things and hated mysteries.

Speaking of which…over their mental link, she asked, "_Harry, how are you holding up?_"

"_In general, or anything in particular, Mary?_"

"_It has been less than a day since you learned what has happened to you, Harry. On top of everything else, I speak for everyone at Chaldea when I say I am worried about your mental wellbeing._"

A sigh down their mental link, and a pause, which Mary knew was to gather his thoughts. "…_I think I'm just trying to concentrate on this mission. I'd prefer to think of myself as a Master, not a Servant or Heroic Spirit. And I'm not going to be more reckless with my life. I don't particularly want to die._"

"_None of us want to. Though you seemed to hit it off with Scheherazade because of that._"

"_Yeah. I'm still angry that she deceived us, but…I think Mash was too angry with her reasons. Mash had every right to be angry, considering she had to deal with her own thanatophobia from her reduced lifespan he originally had before Fou revived her after Goetia murdered her, but Scheherazade…you can't help but pity her, having to deal with that misogynistic psychopath of a king for so long. I generally hate traitors who do so because they fear for their lives, thanks to Wormtail…but really, all Scheherazade wanted was to die forever._"

Mary nodded. She too sympathised with the Arabian storyteller, even if Mary didn't have the same thanatophobia. True, Scheherazade had engineered all the suffering within the Agartha Pseudo-Singularity, but she also regretted it, and couldn't back out of it due to the Demon Pillar Phenex's threats. And at least she had the courage to turn on Phenex at the end, assisting Chaldea in cleaning up her mess. "_Scheherazade aside, you say you are trying to distract yourself from that matter. While that is understandable, I will be there for you when this mission is over, and you need comfort. You are part of Chaldea. We all will help you._"

* * *

In many ways, it was worse for the other Chaldea staff, Harry reflected. Those he met were the survivors of Lev Lainor Flauros' sabotage, which decimated the staff. Hell, once Servants began to be summoned, some took up the slack. The Fujimarus, however, were the only Masters in Chaldea (at least until Gabrielle, and later, Anishka, were found to be Master candidates), and although they put on a brave face, they were inexperienced and young Magi who prevailed against Goetia as much through dumb luck as it was through their skill commanding Servants. And they were still coping with what they had seen.

Harry had only really dealt with two Singularities, Goetia's stronghold, and three of the Pseudo-Singularities. That was horrific enough, but the Fujimarus had had to deal with the seven Singularities of the Grand Order, Goetia's lair, and five of the Pseudo-Singularities, with the fifth being their dream sojourn into a twisted version of Shimosa Province in Japan during the 17th Century. And then there was the whole Salem saga: Harry reckoned he would have taken down Matthew Hopkins for what he did to the innocent people, to say nothing of everything else in that sordid saga. In addition, the Fujimarus had to witness their original director, Olga-Marie Animusphere, get murdered by Lev, unable to do anything. From what he had heard, Olga-Marie was apparently more than a bit of a bitch, but she was also more altruistic than many Magi, and had a façade of coldness in order to cope with the importance of her position, to say little of the shame her father brought upon the family when his experiments on Mash and others came out. Then again, the shame was not because of the experiments, which many Magi would do, but that he got caught, even if only posthumously.

In order to try not to think of all that, they probably viewed dealing with the Singularities as a welcome distraction. If they could do it, he could. He would certainly support them.

Harry frowned as he realised something as he walked towards Hogwarts. "_Mary_," he sent down their mental link. "_Is it me, or are there more pigeons than normal?_"

"_I do not know, as I do not know how many pigeons there are around Hogwarts_," she replied.

"…_No, these are different ones to the ones I usually see. I think they may be a different species. Mary, do these seem like familiars to you?_"

"…_It's possible_," the Assassin conceded. "_While I cannot claim to be an expert on pigeon breeds, these seem closer to those from the Middle East as opposed to Western Europe. And they are scrutinising you rather strongly for supposedly skittish birds. In fact, I think they have been present in Hogsmeade. I think a message to Ritsuka and Hundred-Face may be in order, as Hundred-Face has a number of areas of expertise._"

Harry nodded, conceding the point. One of Hundred-Face's personas had learned how to become a chicken-sexer(1), of all things. Obscure fields of knowledge, often seemingly mundane, was Hundred-Face's specialties. And there was also Da Vinci and Sherlock to consider.

As surreptitiously as he dared, he took a picture of the pigeons, making a pretence of checking the time on the Chaldea communicator, which has a small digital camera built in. Then, he headed back to the school, Mary in tow. He hoped this morning's excitement would be the end of it…

* * *

Semiramis smirked as she watched the holographic display from her throne. It seemed that the Potter boy had caught on to her using pigeon familiars. She knew it was the Potter boy because the charm couldn't fool her magecraft, and besides, Severus and one of his masters already knew.

Still, the Hanging Gardens were nearing completion. Soon, they would have an edge in this war. She just needed to find the right time to strike.

Her Master was an interesting one. True, he wasn't that much of a looker, and she couldn't prevail upon him to use some damned shampoo on his hair, but he was a genius when it came to potions, and the two got into some interesting discussions. Severus was still holding a torch for that Lily woman, and to tell the truth, Semiramis still held some affection for Shirou Amakusa Tokisada, but Semiramis could at least admit that Severus was a friend if nothing else. A bitter, twisted man who held onto the past too much and was beholden to two masters, but he was intelligent and had a quick wit and a sharp tongue. A man after her own heart. She saw something of herself in him, even if he didn't carry himself with nobility at all.

As for Chaldea…well, dealing with the Demon Pillars would be their problem. So too would dealing with Voldemort and the man masquerading as Dumbledore, especially as Harry Potter was present. She would help if it meant helping herself and her Master, but for the moment, their main agenda was staying alive and unscathed…ready to drive a dagger into the back of the exhausted victor. And if Chaldea prevailed, well, all the better, because then the dagger wouldn't be needed.

Even so, when she saw Mordred in Hogsmeade, she'd been tempted to kidnap the ornery little brat and torture her for her actions in Trifas. Only prudency stayed her hand. Still…she hoped the little bitch went through the wringer…

**CHAPTER 18 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Another quiet chapter, with more problems sure to occur later.**

**I just finished the Shimosa Pseudo-Singularity. Well…that was probably the best of the Pseudo-Singularities so far in terms of story. Then again, considering that they aped the story of the novel ****_Makai Tensho_**** (the basis of, amongst other things, the ****_Samurai Reincarnation_**** film and the ****_Ninja Resurrection_**** OVAs, marketed falsely as a sequel to ****_Ninja Scroll_**** by localisers), that may not be surprising. Actually, the final battle between Musashi and Kojiro was a damned good one. Most of the battles where you could only play as Musashi were annoying or frustrating, but that one felt like a good battle.**

**I'm dreading the Salem Pseudo-Singularity, though. I looked ahead, and apparently, in a few of the chapters, your characters are nerfed, their levels halved. What the actual fuck? Sounds like the work of the evil, tear-drinking prick who did the gameplay of the Camelot Singularity…**

**EDIT: I actually just started the Salem Pseudo-Singularity, and upon reflection of the storyline released so far, I decided to make it another that Harry had to sit out for various reasons. One, he would not have tolerated Hopkins' killing of innocents, and probably would have blown their cover. Two, he would travel invariably with Mary, and explaining her away to the inhabitants of Salem probably would have been more trouble than they were worth.**

**Review-answering time! ****Have a Little Faith****: Percy was only being gradually taken over. He really was an officious prick during the events of Book 4 (and frankly, I have little sympathy for him). Back in Chapter 7, I have Percy/Asmodeus state that he took over in earnest ****_after_**** Percy broke off ties with his family.**

**Dragon Man 180****: I'm not sure about the limitations of what a Holy Grail can do. It may have power that approaches infinity, but it is far from infinite. Bringing a single person back to life, however, is definitely within its capabilities, but multiple people are another matter. As Percy has broken with his family, nothing of the sort will happen, for now. And the Demon Pillars hate Chaldea. The only way they'd ally with them is as an alliance of convenience to take down another foe.**

**Weary Curmudgeon****: The sad thing is, Umbridge is considerably less odious than Zouken. She never left a child in a pit full of rape worms as magical training as well as an attempt to gain immortality. Hell, I think even that would be just a step too far for her, though Zouken sets the bar pretty low. Then again, Zouken's intelligence is way more than Umbridge…**

**1\. What the term means is someone who can tell the gender of newly-hatched chicks, something needed for the poultry-farming industry. I actually first learned about this on the ****_QI_**** episode ****_Indecision_****, where they mentioned that Japanese expertise in the field was highly sought-after, and yes, one of Hundred-Face's personas is an expert chicken-sexer. I am NOT making any of this shit up.**


	20. Chapter 19: Probing

**CHAPTER 19:**

**PROBING**

Amelia Bones looked at Fudge flatly in the Minister's office. "I'm sorry, Minister, but I thought I just heard you utter something completely and utterly insane. That you have allowed for Umbridge's release, despite my telling Tonks and Shacklebolt to show you Pensieve memories of the circumstances leading up to her arrest."

Fudge puffed himself up from where he was seated, doing an impressive impression of Umbridge. "You overstepped your bounds, Amelia…"

"You overstepped yours, Fudge. You have no right or authority to overturn an arrest. In fact, you have a bad habit of assuming the powers of an Auror or the Head of the DMLE for your own. Sending Rubeus Hagrid to Azkaban, for example, rather than a Ministry holding cell. Allowing Barty Crouch Junior to be Kissed, rather than having him brought into custody."

"I am the Minister of Magic!"

"And you are not above the law!"

"I _am_ the law! I am the Minister of Magic, and whatever I say, goes!"

Amelia Bones shook her head. Learning about Umbridge being released, and by that puffed-up pedant Percy Weasley, was the cap on an aggravating day. This was just making things worse. "Oh? And what would you suggest done about the Death Eaters caught at Hogsmeade abducting and murdering people? To say nothing of these rogue Servants?"

"Be silent!" Fudge snapped. "Umbridge has told me about your little deal with Chaldea, and you are working with them to help Dumbledore overthrow me!"

Amelia's patience, already frayed, finally snapped. "For Merlin's sake, Fudge, are you listening to yourself? Can you listen to anyone other than either those telling you what you want to hear, or lining your damned pockets? No, you're just a damned coward who cannot countenance the possibility that you are wrong because that would mean admitting you're fallible. And unless the Wizengamot votes to grant you emergency powers, then you cannot override me in such a manner, to say little of actually firing me without due cause or notice."

Fudge scowled. "Then I shall just have to get them, won't I? It's about time someone did something about those who stand in the way of good governance."

"Then do something about yourself, Fudge," Amelia said. "You are the complete opposite of good governance, fiddling while Rome burns, but even Nero would do something more than you are doing!"

* * *

In her quarters at Chaldea, a whole universe away, a blonde-haired and green-eyed young woman sneezed, and then blinked. "Umu? Can Servants get colds?" she mused.

* * *

"How dare you?! You are stirring up trouble where there needn't be any!" Fudge snapped. "Chaldea is the one causing the problems, to ensure they're seen as saviours! But they know how to travel in time, more than our time-turners can. Who's to say they're not using this place as a beachhead to rewrite our history, to ensure their Magus Association, who are collectively more cruel than any of our fine wizards and witches, can take over?"

That…while insane, had a point. Da Vinci, Harry and Ritsuka had warned Amelia that Magi in general were considerably more amoral than wizards here. It came from their obsession with reaching the Root, Akasha, the source and origin of all things. However, they also revealed something else. "Chaldea is in danger from the Magus Association, Fudge, despite working to stop the Demon Pillars. I am keeping an eye on them, in case they do turn out to be a threat, as I am not stupid. But you are showing yourself to be just that. And yet, you seem to have a dangerous amount of information about Chaldea and the Magus Association. If you do press the issue and force my resignation Fudge, not only will I have Rufus take my place, as is my prerogative, but I will ensure that a vote of no confidence is mooted against you in the Wizengamot, or at least call for a new Minister to be elected. In any case, I have to wonder at your sources. Who is telling you that Chaldea is the enemy?"

"I don't have to tell you that!"

"Then let this be your final warning, Fudge. Stay out of my investigations from now on. You have no right to interfere with them, and if you press the issue, I will ensure your victory is a pyrrhic one."

Her cold tone and words seemed to finally halt the petulant, childish conniption of the man, too little, too late. "…What does that mean?"

"It means that even if I lose, you'll bitterly regret it," Amelia said, before she turned and left.

* * *

That wasn't like her, normally. She was usually more calm and collected, but dealing with Fudge and his continual interference, to say nothing of that of Umbridge and, recently, Percy Weasley (how an officious, anal-retentive bastard like him ever was sired by the likes of Arthur and Molly, she had no idea), had worn down some of her patience. The incidents that occurred due to the Servants and the Death Eaters only accelerated the decay of her usual patience and endurance.

Still, the Chaldeans' words stuck in her mind. Two Demon Pillars existed in this world, possibly in positions of power. She doubted Fudge would be one of them. Umbridge? She probably would have revealed herself sooner, and in any case, that seemed too obvious. In fact, there were a plethora of suspects, and not enough evidence.

She was so preoccupied with her thoughts, she didn't notice the elderly man in front of her until it was too late. He bumped into her, and they toppled over to the ground, the old man on top of her. She saw a spell pass overhead. She scrambled around from underneath him, before looking back the way she had come. She thought she saw a shadowy figure duck away down the corridor, too far to pursue in her current state. "Trying to curse me in the halls of the Ministry? Someone's getting bold," she muttered, before helping the old man to his feet.

She was surprised at the man. Despite his age, his body was firm, having the undeniable sense of strength to it. His features were not truly distinguished, his hair brown but peppered with grey, a thick beard, and his eyes peered at her sharply. She had the sense of someone both infinitely old and yet still as vital as the strongest young person.

"A place of governance is like any living thing, prone to indolence, rot and disease," the man said in a deep, resonant voice. "Sometimes, it even turns on those who seek to protect it from threats both without and within. My thanks to you. Compassion without reason and shame without cause are vices, not virtues. But I thank you for helping me."

"…Did you ever need help? You meeting me here wasn't a coincidence."

"Your eyes and mind are as keen as the edge of the finest blade. However, while my presence here with you was coincidence, my presence here, as with anyone within the Ministry of Magic, visitor or worker, is not. I had business here, and happened to sense the attempt on your life. Your erstwhile killer cannot hide their killing intent, like the mist that shrouds the boundary between life and death. I must go, for I have other business. Be ever vigilant."

As he made to leave, Amelia frowned. "And what is your name? You saved Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

The old man looked back at her, and gave a slight smile. "…If you must have a name, it is Ziusudra…"

* * *

Da Vinci frowned as King Hassan made his report not long afterwards. "There's a prophecy relating to Harry and Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries?"

"**Aye**," King Hassan said via the comms link. "**Their defences are good, preventing most from removing it, but I was able to do so. Black and Lupin brought up the possibility of a prophecy, as they vaguely recalled hearing something about it in discussion with Harry's parents. I have removed the defences, listened to the prophecy, and then left. The defences are renewing, so any fool who touches the prophecy will be in for a rude awakening.**" He then recited the prophecy, as well as any details.

Da Vinci frowned. "It seems ambiguous. Leaving aside birthdates and the like, there would be other children born around the same time. If there's anything to this, Voldemort only ensured it by giving Harry the scar that 'marks him as his equal'."

"**Mine thoughts were the same. Prophecy tends to ensnare those who wish to defy it the most, usually by killing the subject of said prophecy**," King Hassan said. "**However, the 'power he knows not'…it is potentially one of a legion of possibilities. One is obvious. Voldemort may not lack in charisma, but he lacks in empathy or truly valuing his followers. Harry, on the other hand, values friends and allies. The other is his potential as an embodied Heroic Spirit.**"

"True, but I do not intend to bank on such a thing. We've fought against fate and won, no matter what Goetia believed our destiny to be, we won't let this prophecy constrict us," Da Vinci said. "While it's a useful piece of intelligence, we won't rely on it."

"**Prudent**," King Hassan observed. "**The Casters have not made much progress yet on formulating the ritual to put paid to Voldemort in one fell swoop. I would love nothing more than to take his head for what he did to the Stone of Calling, tainting it with his foul soul. Remind Harry and the others present at Hogwarts to search the Room of Requirement. Another Horcrux may be what we need.**"

"I'll remind them, but they have to be careful, lest our enemy target them. Remember, we have to assume that Hogwarts is enemy territory."

"**And this blighted Ministry too**," King Hassan said. "**I feel the vague presence of those thrice-cursed Demon Pillars, but I cannot pinpoint them. Their stain is present here, that much mine senses tell me. The Demon Pillars, however, have only exacerbated and exploited the corruption and malice already present. Human weakness acts as a clarion call for their ilk.**"

"Do you think Madam Bones' would-be assassin one of them?"

"**While possible, that woman has a plethora of enemies due to her most formidable conviction. The man I eventually caught before coming down to the Department was a mere bureaucrat, suffering from mental influence, presumably the Imperius, and he killed himself when I attempted to interrogate him. However, it means that whoever was behind this is bold enough to try to target a high-ranking figure. Their failure might mean that they are cautious, but I still believe that Gudao and his team would make good bodyguards.**"

"This is all we need," Da Vinci sighed. "A three-way, if not a four-way, clusterfuck between the Ministry, the Death Eaters, and us, with Dumbledore being a possible enemy."

"**Tis never an easy labour to protect humanity, on any world**," King Hassan said. It was perhaps his way of reassuring her.

And he was right. Even for those in Chaldea who weren't rayshifting, it was far from a cakewalk. They had to watch and worry, just in case the Fujimarus, and the later Masters, were killed, helpless to do much but offer support. In addition, the work needed to maintain a rayshifted person's existence when the World and other forces tried to act on it was not inconsiderable. The rayshift to Babylonia was a miracle in of itself, as they managed to get enough Servants to support the Masters, and not just Mash.

Da Vinci also knew, thanks to discussions she had with Sherlock, that there was trouble on the horizon. There were rumours that a private buyer was angling to take control of Chaldea, the last scion of the Musik clan. Thankfully, their cooperation with Clock Tower and the UN had bought them enough capital that they wouldn't be outright imprisoned, she hoped, but still…there were worrying signs that a storm was coming. Especially as the Musik heir had links to a rather shady NPC of unknown provenance, one that even a few contacts in the UN and Clock Tower were uneasy about.

She hoped that their little trump card, the Shadow Border APC and the back-up body of her dwelling within it, wouldn't be needed. But what kind of genius would she be if she didn't plan at least for some contingencies? And given the shit they'd been through, well, better to be prepared than not…

* * *

Harry stared at the diadem. He had found the Room of Requirement, and had found the Horcrux after much searching. Mary, having Deastralized to search alongside him, was glaring at it impressively. "A beautiful object, tainted by the soul of your nemesis," she muttered, even as she used gloves and a special Mokeskin pouch to contain it. "Voldemort has much to answer for."

"We'll have to have it sent over to 12 Grimmauld Place ASAP," Harry said. "Hopefully, this will give Merlin, Tamamo and Nitocris what's needed to put paid to him for good. Then again…that leaves the Demon Pillars, as well as any Death Eaters who decide to fight…and whoever's behind Archimedes."

Mary nodded, and the two left, unaware they had been watched by a figure, currently Astralized, a burly, bearded man. He sighed quietly to himself in regret. If only his Master was that boy instead of the one who summoned him. True, the boy would oppose his plans, but he would also be a better example. Rather like his Paladins, not the ones his shadow commanded, but the real ones. Righteous and forthright. And despite his Master engineering him to be in a loveless household, Harry had maintained a capacity to feel love. How else would you explain the strong bond between him and the Saracen girl? He didn't begrudge them, any more than he begrudged the relationship between Bradamante and Ruggiero, which did happen, even if not quite like the tales.

Still, Karl Magnus Rex reflected, Harry Potter was an enemy. Sooner or later, he would have to be stopped, and hopefully, brought into the fold. Of course, if need be, he would be destroyed. With the deepest of regret, true, but as the cliché went, one couldn't make an omelette without breaking a few eggs…

* * *

"He's not a fighter," observed a young man with red hair and golden eyes, as he and Charlemagne walked across the courtyard of Charlemagne's fortress. "I wouldn't go so far as to call him a coward, but he is a man who detests fighting, and only does it when he thinks it is necessary, not when it actually is."

Charlemagne rubbed his head. "Yeesh. I mean, I get what you're saying, but seriously, old timer, a bit harsh, don't you think? You come out of your forge, just to say that?"

"Good medicine tastes bitter. It's a truism held both in the east and the west," the young man said. "Besides, I'm not known for my social graces, and he's old enough to not wail like a brat when I tell him that. Then again, the man's broken. A betrayal from one he loved, one who chucked him into a dungeon and threw away the key…I've seen men like him before. I made swords, and I have seen many of those who wield them. Fools who wanted to be Musashi Miyamoto, before he or she even lived, spoilt rich boys paying for fine swords they would never look after, bloodthirsty idiots who wouldn't know what bushido was if it bit them in the arse…" The young man pinched the bridge of his nose. "Lord Masamune would be turning in his grave, I thought then, and now. But I also met many warriors who fought one battle too many, ronin who were betrayed for little reason by their lords…he's like them."

"Broken?"

"Yeah. You never actually smithed a weapon, did you, Charlemagne? You may have wielded them, but forged one?" When Charlemagne shook his head, the young man said, "I didn't think so. While my methods of forging a blade are different to those you have in Europe, I am sure your finest smiths would need to think of how to create a strong blade, mindful of how a single flaw, even a small one, can have catastrophic results. Well, until plate armour came along in earnest, and what they needed was not a blade that cut, but a pig-sticker that could go through armour."

Charlemagne nodded. "The Grail told me of an incident, more of an apocryphal story, when Richard the Lionheart and Saladin supposedly met, and demonstrated their respective swords. Richard used his sword to smash right through a table, while Saladin used his Damascus Steel blade to cut through a silk handkerchief in mid-air."

"And in real life, Richard, while in battle, swatted an enemy with the flat of his sword, only to break it," the young man said. "Something shattered your new Master, and I don't know whether anything can reforge him."

"Yeesh, old timer. People ain't like swords."

"Exactly. You can actually reforge a sword, melt it down and start again. But people…it's a lot harder to put the pieces back together. Sometimes, you never can. Still…Chaldea will be coming soon. Let's just hope your other self doesn't try hard enough to stop them…"

**CHAPTER 19 ANNOTATIONS:**

**Another bit of an interlude chapter, but with Bones in trouble with Fudge and those behind him. And Karl Magnus Rex showing his moral complexity. Oh, and who's this with Charlemagne? The next chapter, hopefully, will have the big reveal…one most of you have already guessed, but still…**

**Incidentally, while the story about Richard and Saladin meeting and comparing their swords is probably apocryphal, Richard breaking his sword while trying to slap his opponent with the flat of his sword did actually happen. To tell the truth, it happened because he was being an arrogant moron while on the way to the Crusades: he tried to confiscate a hawk from a peasant in Italy, believing that falconry was the sole preserve of the nobility. He had to fight his way out of a mob.**

**Also, Salem has been released. I have to say, story-wise, it's much better than Shinjuku or Agartha, even if I want Matthew Hopkins to die a slow painful death. And the halved-level battles haven't been too bad, so far. I honestly don't know how Harry coped with seeing Matthew Hopkins kill so many innocents. He probably sat that one out, especially as Mary probably couldn't come with him without arousing suspicion. I actually edited the previous chapter to reflect this.**

**Anyway, I'm now keeping the next chapter aside for the big December update later this month. Most of the ones being updated are Potterverse/Nasuverse fics, and there'll be two new fics, albeit ones familiar to those who follow my compilations the Cauldron and Zelretch's Collection of Alternates. My Harry/Arturia fic ****_King of His Heart_**** is finally seeing the light of day as ****_You're the King of My Heart_****, and my Harry/Altera story, a remake (with permission) of sakurademonalchemist's abortive fic ****_Shatterglass_****, will also be released. It's gone through a few titles, but it's now called ****_Obtaining Salvation_****.**

**Review-answering time! ****Sunwolf27****: For now, I'm not doing it, and it's firmly on the backburner. But never say never.**

**WearyCurmudgeon****: I think Umbridge would draw the line at something like Crest Worms, at least using them to gain immortality. Torturing someone with them, yeah, I can see that. But as far as methods of immortality go…well, I reckon she would go so far as Darnic did in ****_Fate/Apocrypha_****, effectively eating infant souls, but Crest Worms? Also, sakurademonalchemist does have a bad completion track record, true, but so does NeonZangetsu, though to be fair to him, he does try. He just has as bad a case of creative attention deficit as sakurademonalchemist…and to a degree, me, for that matter. I just try to ensure readers have something relatively substantial to read before I lose interest. **

**And I literally have no plan for how long this story goes for. My stories in general are mostly improvised using story rails to help with structure, but here, I'm basically throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. I have rough ideas of what will happen, but a lot of these plot twists were made up on the fly. Hell, I didn't have any plan for Voldemort's Servant until the obvious answer hit me in the face. I didn't have plans to bring in Columbus into the story until I played through Agartha. So…no plans, just improvisation. Yikes…**

**No numbered annotations this time.**


	21. Chapter 20: The Battle for Truth

**CHAPTER 20:**

**THE BATTLE FOR TRUTH**

That evening, they gathered in Chaldea's briefing room. Da Vinci looked at the Servants gathered there. The buxom, redheaded Francis Drake. The scruffy, furtive Blackbeard. The petite Mary Read and the buxom Anne Bonney. Ishtar, who, due to taking the body of Japanese Magus Rin Tohsaka, greatly resembled her, albeit with crimson eyes and dressed in what could only be described as a literally divine bikini, floating gently off the floor.

"Now, you'll be rendezvousing with Quetzlcoatl in Hogsmeade," Da Vinci said. "From there, you will be heading to this location."

"The North Sea?" Drake asked, peering at the map on the screen on the table.

"Yes. We've managed to track Charlemagne's fortress to that area. At the time we sent Astolfo, it was moving over France. Now, given that Astolfo was attacked by Archimedes, it's more than likely that he, possibly along with other Servants, will try to intercept you. Hence why we're going for a larger expedition, and at night to avoid the mundane populace from noticing. Five Riders including Quetzlcoatl and not counting Bonney and Read as a single Servant, as well as you, Ishtar, given your flight ability. Now, keep in mind, there is a possibility that Astolfo may have been suborned. Leaving aside the other incidents where this occurred in the past, such as in Babylonia and Agartha, there's a possibility that another version of Charlemagne with a brainwashing ability has manifested himself. A slim possibility, but I want you to take all due precautions. Expect Archimedes at the very least, as well as the possibility of a suborned Astolfo. Capture Astolfo if he is present and does attack. While we haven't dealt with any Shadow Servants in this Pseudo-Singularity yet, we cannot bank on their absence."

"So, how're we gonna do this?" Blackbeard asked, scratching at his face idly.

"Ishtar and Quetzlcoatl will act as escorts, because their mounts are considerably faster and more manoeuvrable," Da Vinci said. "However, if you're within range of Charlemagne's fortress, those two will need to get through, and the others will have to fight off any pursuers. You have heavier weapons on your mounts. We're hoping that Charlemagne is a potential ally, but you'll have to consider that he is either allied with Archimedes, or else part of a rival enemy faction."

"Dealing with Astolfo won't be easy, assuming we have to fight him," Anne Bonney pointed out. "An annoying ditz he may be, but in combat, he's pretty competent."

"I'm also worried about Archimedes," Drake said. "I have vague memories of encountering him during the Altera fiasco in the Moon Cell(1). While relatively weak in combat, his greatest skills are those damnable engines of destruction he uses."

"We still don't know enough about the enemy's numbers, either," Ishtar mused, folding her arms beneath her breasts.

Drake, after a moment, shrugged. "What's life without risk, eh? Boring as hell, that's what!"

Da Vinci smiled, only to hear a chirrup from a computer tablet. Examining it, she said, "There's another thing. Harry just sent some data to Hundred-Face. There are pigeons around Hogwarts that correspond to a species that belongs more to the Middle East than Europe, pigeons that may be acting as familiars. Thanks to the Servants who fought in Trifas, we know that Semiramis used pigeon familiars, and Shirou Amakusa Tokisada has confirmed that these are the type of pigeons Semiramis used. We can't be absolutely certain that she is here on this world, but she may be problematic if she interferes in this mission."

"Why is that?" Mary Read asked.

"Because her Noble Phantasm allows her to create a massive flying fortress, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Shirou Amakusa Tokisada was actually very helpful in discussing her. The Noble Phantasm requires a considerable amount of investment of money, along with soil, water, and plants from the Middle East, enough to bankrupt a small country. The Death Eaters collectively may be able to afford it, as many are rich scions of the Purebloods, and if she's aligned with Voldemort's forces…of course, this is purely speculative. We're only discussing possibilities, not facts. Once you reach Charlemagne's fortress, we need answers from him. Hopefully, he will cooperate, given Nero and Altera's assessment of his character."

"Aye, he seemed like a straightforward, earnest guy from what I remember of SERAPH," Drake said. "I doubt he'd be our enemy willingly, not unless some seriously weird shit was going on..."

* * *

Karl Magnus Rex was contemplating matters in the study of Potter Manor, when Archimedes came in. "Karl, it seems that Chaldea is making another attempt to make contact with your shadow. I daresay it won't be as easy as last time. They've sent more Servants, who have just departed from Hogsmeade."

"Have you identified any of them?" Karl asked.

"One of them is most definitely Francis Drake, whom you know as a Rider from the Moon Cell," Archimedes said. "In addition, they have the Rider Servant who claimed to be Quetzlcoatl. There's another Servant who resembles a Master I recall from monitoring SERAPH, Rin Tohsaka, only, she shows a similar divinity signature to Quetzlcoatl."

"Two Servants with divine signatures?" Karl mused. "And what of the others?"

"They looked rather like Drake's ilk, pirates of the Caribbean," Archimedes sniffed dismissively. "However, it seems they have gotten serious. We can intercept them, but it will be nowhere near as easy, even with an Oraclized Astolfo and any Shadow Servants we can muster."

"It may have been a mistake deploying you last time, Archimedes," Karl mused. On Archimedes' raised eyebrow, Karl clarified, "I do not say such a thing lightly, and it is nobody's fault barring my own, but if they were alerted to the fact that other Servants from the Moon Cell are present, it's possible they may suspect my involvement. I acted mostly to avoid having our Master's identity revealed too soon. I believed that Chaldea would not spread its forces so thin to chase multiple leads, but I underestimated them. If it weren't for the fact that they would undermine everything I am working for, they would make marvellous allies. In truth, I believe that we need to switch targets. We should have done this earlier. You and Astolfo will head to my shadow's fortress, and do what you can to destroy it and those on it before Chaldea's forces get there. Use your Noble Phantasms to their utmost. I know they are Anti-Army, but if you use them in concert…"

"It is certainly possible. Give me the right lever and fulcrum, and I can move the world," Archimedes said, quoting himself. "However, your shadow is present there, and he may have other Servants under his banner."

"Then use the Shadow Servants to draw their fire," Karl said. "They're useful, but they're far more expendable than regular Servants."

"And Astolfo? Is he to be considered expendable?"

"If need be, yes. Chaldea already knows something is wrong, but he knows little, and while the Oraclization process doesn't erase memory, if he is killed in the process, the resummoning may scramble his memories, not that his brain needs any more scrambling. I ensured he was unconscious when I did this, though, so the only Servant he knows is you, in case he does retain his memories. All he knows is that he was following the orders of his true king. In any case, I know you despise his irrationality, so consider this some free catharsis. I already now know that my Oraclization, while nowhere near as powerful as it was on the Moon Cell, has recovered to an extent that I can do so to anyone I wish within close proximity."

"So, your plans are moving forward, then?"

"Yes. I will wipe the stain of the Demon Pillars from this world, along with Voldemort and my erstwhile Master," Karl said. "Then, we can begin truly uniting this world under my banner, to make it truly great…"

* * *

They'd set off from Hogsmeade after collecting Quetzlcoatl. The journey went on in silence for now, but Drake was uneasy. If Archimedes had spotted Astolfo and intercepted him so soon after being deployed, why was the enemy taking so long to come to them this time? Drake was a veteran of many battles, even before she became a Heroic Spirit. While Blackbeard, Anne Bonney and Mary Read were competent fighters who had fought and won a number of naval battles, Drake was still more experienced, as she was not just a pirate, but a privateer and a naval officer.

As if sensing her thoughts, Quetzlcoatl hopped off her steed, a massive, pterodactyl-like Phantasmal Beast, similar to the _Quetzalcoatlus_ pterosaur, and joined her on the deck. "It's too quiet, yes?" the Aztec deity asked. "You'd think they would have attacked us by now."

"Aye," the privateer agreed, nodding her head. "Something's wrong, I feel it in my bones. You can't sense an enemy presence yet?"

"Not close to here," Quetzlcoatl said. "That does not mean much if there is an Assassin, but I don't know of any who can fly off the top of my head. It's mostly Riders who can. Do you think Archimedes could have found a way to conceal Astolfo or any other Servants they send at us?"

"Buggered if I know, but I wouldn't be surprised if the scurvy knave knew how." Suddenly, there was a chirping from their comms systems, and Da Vinci's urgent expression filled the holographic image that appeared.

"_Everyone, there's a problem! I was monitoring the area where Charlemagne's fortress is, but the feed cut out. However, shortly before then, I caught a glimpse of Archimedes, Astolfo, and a veritable swarm of Shadow Servants!_" Da Vinci exclaimed. "_If I had to guess, they've decided to destroy the fortress and all on board to prevent us from gaining any information or allying with them! You've got to get there as soon as possible!_"

Quetzlcoatl and Drake shared a look, before Drake urged the _Golden Hind_ onwards. Quetzlcoatl leapt off the side of the ship, summoning her winged steed that caught her. Drake prayed she'd get there on time. No time to play lawn bowls with this armada bearing down on its target…

* * *

Dumbledore stumbled out of his quarters when he heard the loud noise. While he did his best to avoid conflict, he had gone through the battlefields of the Second World War, trying to track down his former friend and unrequited love. And while warfare between Servants sounded different to the chattering of machine guns and the crump of mortar shells, there was no denying the similar tempo.

As he left the barracks, a rather large manor, the red-haired young man with golden eyes turned and saw him. "What the blazes do you think you're doing? Have you gone senile?"

Dumbledore scowled at the young man, who, apparently, was Sengo Muramasa, the famous swordmaker of Japan, albeit inhabiting a body of one of his descendants. "We're under attack! I thought I could do something!"

"You can: stay out of the way!" the irritable swordsmith snapped, before he suddenly formed a long, Japanese sword, and swung it into a group of shadowy figures that was approaching. "They've mounted a full-scale attack on Charles Patricius!" Muramasa yelled. "Those things are Shadow Servants! I encountered them in that twisted version of Shimosa! Bad copies of Servants, unable to use their Noble Phantasms, and certainly weaker than the norm, but they can be mass-produced!" Suddenly, Muramasa dived, grabbing Dumbledore and bringing him to the ground. The ground nearby suddenly erupted, with a pink-haired…boy? Girl? On a large Hippogriff rising into the sky with a whoop of joy.

"Astolfo!" they heard Charlemagne call out, from where he had been battling a bunch of Shadow Servants. A pair of glowing blue wings were emanating from his back, along with what looked like a dozen ethereal weapons arranging themselves behind him. "Unfading holy light, forever changing colour and form…oh my Paladins, oh my friends, carve thy legends into mine blade to prove my kingly heroics! **_JOYEUSE ORDRE!_**"

Jets of radiant light blasted forth at Astolfo, consuming him and the Hippogriff. When the light faded, Astolfo was falling from the sky. Charlemagne caught him before he hit the ground. "Astolfo?" he asked.

And then, they heard the clapping. A slow, sardonic clap. "Many consider those with emotions to defy logic, but while they defy rationality, they have a logic all of their own. Thank you for concentrating on Astolfo while I powered up my Noble Phantasm to its utmost limits. Astolfo effectively loosened the lid for me by weakening your fortress."

The voice came from the sky, and they looked up…only to find that the night sky had changed. It now looked like a starscape all round, with an eclipsed sun behind the speaker, hexagonal mirrors arrayed behind him. "Archimedes?!" Charlemagne demanded.

"It's time for you to die," Archimedes said coldly, spreading out his arms. "Time to bring back balance. **_KATOPTRON KATHO PHLEGON!_**"

* * *

It was too late. Drake and the others came to the position where the flying fortress was, only to see it vanish briefly into a Bounded Field…and then, reappear in a massive explosion, burning masonry and debris falling into the ocean. And there was a sole figure, looking down at the ruined fortress sinking into the waves, laughing. Until he turned and saw them approaching. "No…damn you…! Listen to me, Servants of Chaldea! The king I serve will bring peace and order to this world, and remove the Demon Pillars, as well as all else that plagues it! Bend the knee to him, or leave this world to its own devices! Those are the only options left to you that will not end in your demise!"

"Piss off, Archimedes!" Drake snarled, readying her Noble Phantasm, the Golden Wild Hunt.

"A predictable response, Francis Drake, from a hedonistic harlot of the seas! You have been adequately warned! Heed it!" And with that, Archimedes Astralized, apparently unwilling to hang around.

Drake snarled, but she then said, "Let's get to the water! There may be survivors!"

Quetzlcoatl was the first to find one, fishing out a red-haired young man holding onto a now-bedraggled older man. Ishtar fished Charlemagne, who was hanging onto an unconscious Astolfo. All three Servants and the older man looked worse for wear.

Charlemagne coughed up water, and then got unsteadily to his feet. "We'd better get out of here, just in case Archimedes is still scrying the area," the blue-clad Saber said, quickly checking his compatriots. "You got something to restrain Astolfo? You can sometimes knock Servants out of Oraclization, but not always, and I know that's been done to him."

"Maybe," Drake said, even as she got the _Golden Hind_ to move away from the area. "So, Charlemagne, what in the name of Davy Jones' Locker are you doing here? I may not have all my memories from the Moon Cell, but I remember you."

"Yeah, I remember you, Drake," Charlemagne said. "And…it's a doozy of a story. But you're working with Chaldea, right? Well, I don't know the whole story, but I know one thing. The old-timer there, the one Muramasa's hanging on to? That's Albus Dumbledore, the real one. He's been imprisoned in Nurmengard the whole time, his appearance changed to that of the guy who's supposed to be there. And the kicker is, that guy's taken his place. I dunno whether you've got anyone at Hogwarts, but if so, get them outta there, because Gellert Grindlewald's in charge of Hogwarts…and he's the Master of Karl Magnus Rex…"

**CHAPTER 20 ANNOTATIONS:**

**So, there it is, the big reveal…that virtually everyone knew already, thanks to the hints. Oh well.**

**Oh, and by the way? I have a REALLY good idea, at long last, for a Noble Phantasm for Harry. The trouble was finding something unique to his legend. It'll be fitting to have it used.**

**1\. While Drake never appears in ****_Fate/Extella_****, there's nothing to suggest that she wasn't involved peripherally in events, or that she was unaware of Archimedes. So I've written it in here that she knows him from a few encounters.**


End file.
